Billy's Case Files
by ermintrude421
Summary: A series of vignettes from before and during the series, detailing how things go, through the eyes of Billy Melrose. Finally finished. All 88 episodes plus interim vignettes.
1. Chapter 1

*DISCLAIMER** Scarecrow & Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Production Company. The original portions of this story, however, are copyrighted to the author. This story is for entertainment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without the permission of the author. If you want to put it on your site, please email me, I would like to thank you for the high compliment. No infringement of copyright is intended, this is a labor of love.

This is a series of vignettes, from Billy's point of view. Dates indicate when these take place. Episodes referenced when appropriate. Many thanks to Jennifer who nagged--encouraged me to get these finished and posted.

Billy's Case Files part 1

by Ermintrude

Before the series

September 1983

Billy Melrose, Agency Section Chief, took a bite of his donut and washed it down with a swallow of lukewarm coffee. He looked out through his window into the bullpen – people busy at their desks – coming and going – all looked deceptively normal.

But Billy was a worried man. He was worried about one person in particular—Lee Stetson – Scarecrow – his best agent. Unfortunately, since the death of Lee's partner Eric, just before last Thanksgiving, Lee had been getting reckless, cocky and – Billy suspected – Lee was suffering badly from survivor's guilt. Every agent needed to be somewhat aggressive and courageous, but Lee was getting downright reckless. He hadn't endangered anyone else, but Billy wondered if the man was trying to get himself killed. Oh not deliberately, but Lee's calm stoic demeanor at Eric's funeral—the way he had supported Lois, Eric's widow, and held little Beth's hand... Billy knew Lee blamed himself for Eric's death. "He took that bullet for me, Billy. I should be the one we're burying today, not Eric."

Billy re-read Scarecrow's file. The man certainly had enough cause for survivor's guilt. A distinguished career in 'Nam – but he had lost buddies there – who hadn't? Then on his first major assignment to the Oz Network, Dorothy had been killed.

Billy re-read Lee's reports of his activities in the Oz Network before Dorothy's death. It was only a few months. Lee and Dorothy had spent time together – you could even call it dating – but Billy wondered just how much detail Lee had left out of the reports. Knowing Lee, Billy expected he and Dorothy had slept together. Lee had the rep even in college. But how close had they gotten? Was Lee in love with her? Probably. It would explain his actions when she died. And afterward.

When Dorothy had been killed at Silver Springs Airport Lee had held her body until they had to pull him off. After that he just shut down emotionally. Lee remained with Paul Barnes – the Wizard – for a few more years, but then he had asked for a reassignment.

Some years later Lee was posted to Italy, in Milan, to study under Dr. Angelo Spinelli, a top researcher into psychic phenomena and practical uses of telepathy and telekinesis. The Soviets were experimenting with psychics, so the Agency was interested.

During Lee's time in Milan he had gotten involved with one Eva Fortuna, a fellow grad student and Dr. Spinelli's assistant. Billy suspected it had gotten serious because Lee had sounded happy and looked forward to the future. But then he had turned distant again when he returned to DC after Eva and Angelo's wedding. They had moved to Moscow shortly afterward and Lee's assignment in Milan was over with the departure of the Spinellis.

Once back in DC, it took a few false tries, but Lee finally was partnered with Eric Jarvis, an older family man. The two were quite different: Lee the handsome dashing bold younger agent; Eric older, somewhat nondescript in looks, low key and understated in his actions and approach to the job. It was like oil and water, but they were very successful in the time – just short of a year – they were partnered. Lee even got close to Lois, Eric's wife and Beth, Eric and Lois' daughter. She was almost 6 when her daddy died, and Lee took that especially hard because he knew the family that had been torn apart by that bullet. Since then Scarecrow refused to be partnered with any other agent for more than a single assignment. If Billy tried to force the issue, Lee was so difficult and hostile that the other agent just asked for a change of partners. Even Francine Desmond, who had been getting close to Lee after her breakup with Jonathan, had categorically stated she would not work with Lee Stetson on an ongoing basis.

Billy sipped his tepid coffee and wished for another donut. 'What am I going to do about Scarecrow? I could order him to undergo a full psych analysis, but they'd probably recommend he come in out of the field for a while – that would really kill Lee. He's a man of action. Make him push paper and he'll quit for sure.'

'What Scarecrow needs is another partner. Someone like Eric, but different. Someone who can keep up with him, but who also will be more cautious and thoughtful. And someone with the people skills that Lee lacks. They will have to be quick on their feet and mentally sharp and not take the bull that Lee can sling so effectively when he needs to. Someone who's immune to Lee's charm or at least can see through his tricks. Someone at least as stubborn and hard-headed as he is.'

It was certainly time for Lee to be the senior agent: Emily Farnsworth, Paul Barnes and then Eric had looked after Lee, helped him along. If Lee could be paired with a rookie... But Billy had tried that and Lee didn't "want any wet-behind-the-ears rookie to nursemaid." No, this time Lee would have to be finessed into working with this new mythical perfect partner. So another rookie agent was out.

'Someone had better come along soon, because I don't know how much longer our boy will last in his present state. I'll know when I see it; I feel it in my bones. Scarecrow's due for a new partner – it's just someone none of us would ever expect. This time Scarecrow has to make the choice himself – that way he'll have only himself to blame. I'll have to keep my eyes open and make him work with that new partner – whether he wants to or not. I'll know it when I see it, even if Lee and his new partner don't. I just have to keep my eyes open and be ready to encourage the unconventional.'


	2. Chapter 2

Billy's Case Files part 2

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

First Season

October 3, 1983—after The First Time

Billy looked at the papers in front of him. "Amanda West King DOB 6/6/51 address 4247 Maplewood Drive, Arlington VA. Graduated Arlington High School 1969. Graduated University of Virginia 1973, Major—English Literature, Minor—Photojournalism. Married 6/24/72 to Joseph Lewis King DOB 1/28/47, Son Phillip Carl King DOB 3/26/73, Son James Walter King DOB 11/28/75, divorced 9/7/82. Mother Dorothea Taylor West DOB 7/27/27, Father Carl Walter West 6/2/25-12/8/67 (heart attack) married 5/7/46. Unemployed, looking for work.

'So this is the civilian that Scarecrow picked out of the crowd. She's an average divorced housewife and mother. Her mother lives with her. She's absolutely nothing like any of the other women in his life. They have nothing in common. Yet this is the woman who managed to crack the case and rescue Scarecrow. She went out of her way to help him. I wonder if she would be interested in working with our Scarecrow again? I'll see if an opportunity comes up, whether she might be available.'

October 10, 1983—during There Goes The Neighborhood.

Francine left Billy's office after her report on Frank Bodine and his wife's disappearance. Something suspicious was going on in Betsy Ross Estates, and he needed a team in there to find out what. But who? The best cover would be a married couple, but Francine was out, she had already met Frank Bodine, and returning as a new neighbor would be suspicious, not to mention totally out of character for Francine. The woman was a consummate professional, but when it came to being a housewife… a housewife! That was it! He knew Scarecrow would be perfect to go in and look around, but Scarecrow needed a 'wife' as cover to move into the house with him, and thanks to the man himself, Billy had a genuine housewife he could call on. Now, if only Mrs. King was still available …

October 17, 1983—during If Thoughts Could Kill

Billy got off the phone and sighed. He had been at his desk reviewing Scarecrow's reports on the Colonial Cookery and Connie Beth cases. He realized Amanda was integral in solving both cases. She saw Francine being questioned by Margaret Welch, and rescued Scarecrow. In a somewhat unorthodox manner, truth be told – actually they were both lucky they weren't killed in that helicopter.

And Connie Beth – Amanda figured out it was opening the boxes in the garage that got Betty Bodine killed – and her using hairspray to take out Bobby Bouchard was a great move. The women had amazing instincts, plus she was so good with people and seemed to be able to hold her own with Lee Stetson.

The way those two argued, Billy just knew Amanda had not succumbed to Scarecrow's charms, which was quite a feat in itself.

Billy had no illusions about Lee Stetson. The man enjoyed the ladies – most all ladies – and he was always putting out signals which most women responded to positively. "Love 'em and leave 'em Lee" was just one of the nicknames the steno pool used for him. Billy assumed Lee had made a play for Amanda, he probably couldn't help himself, and they spent most of several nights together in that house – with the one furnished bedroom – that was the setup they had ordered for the cover house in Betsy Ross Estates. Billy had overheard Amanda mentioning "The senior agent always gets the bed" that old saw. So he knew the 'sleeping arrangements' had been a topic of discussion during that assignment. But Billy was a good judge of character and he knew Amanda King was not the type of person to engage in casual sex.

He reviewed the background file on Mrs. King. Everything seemed to be in order, the background checks had turned up nothing questionable.

Billy's gut said she was just what Scarecrow needed. He noticed how Lee had hovered near Amanda during her debriefings in his office. The way he escorted her out of his office – Lee's hand in the small of her back – showed Lee felt protective of Amanda.

Then he had replayed the tapes of their meeting on the security cameras in the Georgetown foyer just before the Connie Beth case. She had handled Lee pretty well, even to pushing him into the elevator. She definitely was not intimidated by the man. But she also picked up on his signals. Lee had related how she had run with his "spying on the competition" line, and how she went on about being a Lovely Lady lady. And then she had sprayed the hair spray in Bobby Bouchard's eyes. So she can act as well as react. Good instincts.

After the altercation with Walt Kimball, Lee had landed in the hospital with a bad knee. And he was making everyone miserable about the annual physical. After the third call to Billy the hospital had threatened to throw Lee out unless something was done to keep him quiet and cooperative. Alec had ordered Lee to have the physical, and Billy needed Lee in the field, so Lee had to complete the physical. But Billy knew Lee needed a buffer between himself and the hospital staff. Someone more personable than Lee, someone cheerful and helpful.

Billy reviewed Amanda's file again – it was right here. She volunteered as a Bedside Bluebell. It wasn't really fair – to her – but it was something she did well. And Billy needed Lee to complete the physical. He also needed another test to make sure Mrs. King was indeed the right partner for Scarecrow.

Billy knew how difficult Lee could be when he was a patient, and having the injured knee in addition to the tests would make him impossible to live with. If Amanda King could handle Lee during his hospital stay, and still remain cheerful and helpful, well she surely was a gift from heaven. And Billy was not one to refuse such a gift.

Scarecrow would be resistant to Amanda's presence, but Billy could make it an order. Or better, present it as an assistant. Lee would like that, an assistant to help out while he was in the hospital.

Third time's the charm. If Amanda King would work with Scarecrow, put up with him and get him through the three days of tests – she would become his official unofficial partner. Lee would fight it all the way, but with a few well-placed orders and letting him work cases on his own in between, maybe it would grow on him. He did seem protective of her. And she was certainly enthusiastic about the work. Maybe she could help out with Lee's reports and other clerical duties – get her transcribing tapes, too. It would keep her busy and keep her around so Lee would get used to seeing her in the office. And if she was around, then she could be pulled off the clerical duties if Lee needed her help on a case.

'Yes, if she works out at the hospital, we've found Scarecrow's new partner for sure. He won't know what hit him!'

After If Thoughts Could Kill October 17, 1983

Billy was at his desk once more, tying up the loose ends from Scarecrow's latest case. Who was he kidding? This one was all Amanda. He paused and sat back in his chair. Poor Walt Kimball. His wife and family would get the death benefits, but the man should still be alive. How Ted Glazer managed to brainwash several of his agents–right under his nose... Billy managed to supress a shudder. This time HE had been the target. He was saved from Walt's attack by a fluke. And as he stood at the podium, he saw that Lee was fully intending to kill him–coldly and without remorse–but for Amanda.

When Amanda barged into the room, wearing her Bedside Bluebell uniform and carrying that weird stuffed duck, he thought it was some sort of practical joke Scarecrow had dreamed up. But then he saw the desperate look in her eyes, and how she was focusing solely on Sacrecrow. Somehow she was able to get through to Lee. She was able to get past Glazer's training and conditioning, and reach Lee. She broke the training, finally getting the duck to talk. But she had reached him before that. It was a close thing. Too close.

Billy allowed a shudder to go through his body. Then he deliberately repeated his mantra and allowed himself to relax fully. Since he had been out of the field for several years, he hadn't been entirely ready for how tense things could get in the heat of the moment. He had stood there at the podium, not moving, hoping and praying that Amanda would be able to get through to her partner. That sort of rapport and trust only developed after years of partnership–not after two weeks. Of course, she had been thrown into close contact with the man on the last two cases, so she had more time with him than a mere two weeks might indicate. Apparently she has some amazing ability to get under people's skin. She had certainly gotten to Scarecrow–Billy wondered if Eric would have been able to break such rigorous training. And she had gotten to Billy as well. Even if he didn't owe her his life, he would have made the decision to permanently partner Mrs. King with his best agent. Scarecrow delivered the goods, but the man needed a partner to keep him grounded and more cautious and rational. And he had come up with his new partner all on his own.

Billy once again thanked whatever guardian angels looked out for Scarecrow–and himself. He knew that success in the field was built on knowledge, skill and training, but he also knew that luck was a factor as well. Sometimes, only luck was what saved you from a fatal end. And that was something a good agent never counted upon, but nonetheless realized was a help and a necessary component of a successful career. And apparently, he and Scarecrow both had more than an average amount of luck. And it seemed Amanda King was their new good luck charm.

So Billy was determined to keep her around as much as possible. She has good secretarial skills, and hopefuly she would take to transcribing and doing the other secretarial tasks around the Agency. Because Billy would not let her go, no matter how desperate and trapped Scarecrfow felt. He would have to balance things–allow Scarecrow some solo cases–maybe overseas–to give him breathing room. Because Billy could see–Amanda King was the type of person that got under your skin, and couldn't be forgotten or dismissed easily. The woman was devoted to Stetson–he saw that as she desperately tried to stop him from taking that shot. And Stetson was not going to like that sort of devotion in his new partner. Hopefully, she'd eventually tone it down. But she had seen Lee at his worst–and was planning on doing it again. And she still came back for more. So she was fully committed to their partnership. Now all he had to do was convince Scarecrow that it was a good thing. That would take time. A long time. Weeks? Not likely. Months, for sure. A full year? Possibly. But like it or not, Scarecrow had a new partner, and as long as Billy was section chief, the partnership would stand.


	3. Chapter 3

Billy's Case Files part 3

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

During Magic Bus October 24, 1983

Billy reviewed the paperwork on the TWU, Total Weaponry Unit, nicknamed The Vigilant, that his department was in charge of guarding until it went out on the road with the Army escort. He needed a place to hide it overnight, while the mockup was being readied for air shipment. He needed somewhere out of the way. Somewhere nobody would suspect a secret military project would stay before being driven from DC to Arizona.

But where could he park it? The motor pool was too obvious, an RV would stand out there. Hiding it on the lot of a real RV dealer would be a security nightmare. It needed to be in a place where a person might expect to see an RV, but a place where it could be guarded easily. Not on the street, in a garage. Well that was silly. How many garages could hold an RV? But a driveway in suburbia would be perfect. Maybe his own house? No, that would be too obvious. He was too plugged in, and people might suspect. He needed someone connected to the Agency, who was not known, yet totally trustworthy. Someone in the suburbs who might want to buy an RV, and test one out for a weekend. Someone with a family, kids… Of course! Mrs. King had the two boys, and her mother. Just the perfect family unit to buy an RV. He would arrange for it to be delivered this afternoon, after their tour, and stay at her place overnight. He'd station a couple of guards to watch over the place, and nobody would be the wiser. And he'd have Scarecrow let her know about the arrangements. After all, what's the good of being the boss, if you can't delegate once in a while?

During The ACM Kid October 31, 1983

Billy sat in his office and waited a few minutes before leaving for the night. It was late, and he thought back to the 'debriefing' of Alexi. What a disaster. He had daughters, and was somewhat used to kids, but Alexi was a real hard case. That kid was way too old for his years. He supposed trying to get him to cooperate with a lollipop was somewhat naïve, but he didn't think bourbon was really appropriate, and that was all that it seemed would work after that.

And Lee Stetson, swinging bachelor, man about town, was going to bring the boy home with him and try to get him to talk. When pigs flew… Billy had been surprised when Lee volunteered to take the boy, when the alternative had been the local juvenile facility. Apparently Billy had hit a nerve with that one. He wondered just what Lee had against juvenile facilities, but thought on the whole it was probably best that he not find out. That man's childhood was bleak enough without all the gory details.

Lee had mentioned he had called Amanda earlier, and planned on having her come by in the morning to watch Alexi while he went to work. Now that was someone who had a chance of being able to communicate with the tight-lipped boy. Mrs. King had two boys of her own, and seemed to understand people, far better than Lee could. Billy had readily agreed to her help. After all, it was cheaper than having another agent watch the boy. And she would be a more normal influence than any of the regular Agency people would be. Once again, Mrs. King's normal housewifely skills were coming in very handy in their shadowy world of espionage. And, wonder of wonders, Scarecrow had called her on his own. Of course, he had been desperate, and totally out of his element, trying to debrief a twelve-year-old, but the fact that he had thought to call his partner was encouraging to Billy. It showed the man was beginning to rely on her for help when he needed it. Granted, it was something of a no-brainer in this instance, but he did initiate the contact, so hopefully it would become a habit for him. Only time would tell…

Before Always Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth November 7, 1983

Billy reviewed the itinerary for Prince Rheza Khan of Zaquir and his wife for their diplomatic visit to the US. Most of the stops were already planned, but a few details had yet to be nailed down. The Princess wanted to visit an elementary school, and tour the facilities. Something about helping establish a good educational model for the children of their country. There were many schools that would be appropriate, but arranging security… And then there was the matter of an escort who was appropriately screened, but a member of the PTA, and not some trained agent. Who could he get? Wait, of course! He accessed the correct file. Yes, it was all there. Not only was she a Bedside Bluebell, but she was a member of the PTA as well. For many years. So it would look entirely natural to have Amanda King escort the Princess to the school her boys attended. And then if the Princess decided to run off, hopefully Mrs. King would be able to alert the Agency, or better yet, possibly tag along. That way the Princess would be under Agency observation, and yet not become suspicious as she might if her minder was a trained agent.

If Billy were lucky, Mrs. King might even be able to become somewhat friendly with the Princess, and help gain some insight into the couple and their politics. Billy knew Zaquir was an American ally, but it always helped to have as much information about those in power as was possible. And Mrs. King was charming and personable and probably would befriend the woman anyhow. It was like her to do that.

Then there was also the added benefit of making Scarecrow work with his partner once again. The more they managed to work together, the better it seemed to be for both of them. Certainly Scarecrow was benefiting from the unusual partnership, and he hoped Amanda was also.

After Service Above and Beyond November 14, 1983

Billy left the hospital and drove home. He was feeling guilty. When Mrs. King had asked about classes, and mentioned it probably wouldn't compromise her usefulness if she stayed alive, he had not imagined that statement would become ironic so quickly. She was certainly lucky. Muscaline was a nasty poison. She was fortunate Delano knew what it was, and that she had gotten the antidote quickly. Otherwise she would have been facing a lengthy and painful recovery. If she had survived, that is.

So Billy was feeling very relieved that he had authorized classes for her the previous week. She had even started some. Training tapes, or something like that. He did consider her Scarecrow's partner, but she was also a civilian, and not trained like the rest of his people were. And he had encouraged Lee to use her by getting close to Delano and get Lee into the party as her chauffeur. If he had known what exactly Delano was involved in, he would have used Francine or another trained agent. Or would he? Really, in the situation, Mrs. King was the logical choice. And Billy used whatever resources he had to best advantage. Which meant that, on occasion, people got hurt. Or were killed.

That was definitely the downside of his job. He didn't dwell on it too often. If he wasn't the section chief, someone else would be, and that someone might not be as understanding or willing to go the extra mile for his people as he was. Everyone, even Mrs. King, had volunteered to do the jobs they did. Nobody was a conscript or draftee. In the armed services, there were many people who ended up fighting even if they didn't want to. He had seen a lot of that during his tour in Korea, and certainly that was the case with Vietnam as well. It was one of the exigencies of war. Well, Billy's people waged another type of war, but this one was in the shadows, and in this one, everyone was a volunteer. Even the civilian auxiliaries. But few civilian auxiliaries were out in the field partnered with a trained agent. Billy would have to make sure Amanda had as much training as he could provide. Yes, he thought her usefulness definitely would not be compromised if she managed to stay alive. And he was glad she had pulled through this one. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to worry about her like that again for a long time, if ever. Some agents could go years without any close calls. But Scarecrow seemed to court danger, so it was probably inevitable Mrs. King would have a few more close calls in the future. Hopefully her luck would hold, because he needed her with Lee.


	4. Chapter 4

Billy's Case Files part 4

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

After Saved By the Bells November 28, 1983

Billy sat at his desk, reviewing the Rostov file. It had been a very busy couple of days. Rostov captured, culminating a lengthy operation; Amanda kidnapped in Lee's place; Lee kidnapping Rostov to trade for Amanda; Lee and Amanda together finding the house where she was held and recapturing Rostov as well as three more enemy agents. In between Lee had been charged with treason and gone on the run.

Billy was amazed Amanda King could find Scarecrow when the rest of the Agency came up empty. Clearly she had come to know Lee very well to find him at the Athletic club. She had also learned a lot about the business to be able to find the house with Lee's help. Just to have pulled off the "impersonation" of Scarecrow to Zinoviev and Arkady was a big accomplishment. She did have the instincts.

And Lee's feeling of responsibility toward her. Billy had asked Lee if there was anything between him and Amanda. Lee's denial was definitive, Lee had no physical or romantic feelings toward Amanda it seemed, but the way he risked everything to save her... Sure, the circumstances brought up a whole lot of bad memories for Scarecrow: Dorothy, Eric, maybe others. But then there was the way Lee acted toward Amanda when she was around, the way he resisted working with her, their arguments. Billy knew there was an office pool about when Amanda would finally tell Scarecrow to go to hell and refuse to work with him anymore. So far several people had their deadlines passed up, and betting was still strong. Only a couple people were betting they would stay together, and they were considered crazy and a long shot.

Billy wasn't in the betting pool, he wasn't even supposed to know about it, but he would bet on the long run for this unusual partnership. And the reason was all about Amanda. How she managed to keep Lee in line was amazing. But more amazing was that Scarecrow seemed oblivious to it. Oblivious but not unaffected. Otherwise why would he risk everything to save Amanda?

That stunt took Billy by surprise, and that wasn't good. As section chief he needed to know all his agents so he could foresee such stunts and head them off. Now he had added Amanda King to the equation, things were a lot less predictable where Scarecrow was concerned. Or maybe not. Billy just needed to remember Lee's very active feelings of responsibility toward her, and his still massive survivor's guilt. God help them all if anything happened to Amanda again. But it was too late to break up that team. Only two months working together and they had a great success rate. And even working without Amanda, Lee was calmer and more cautious. The benefits really outweighed the potential problems. Billy just had to always keep Amanda in mind whenever Scarecrow was involved.

After Sudden Death December 5, 1983

Billy was reviewing the Pioneers/Lichtenstein case files. He had been pleased Scarecrow had managed to get into the Pioneer's training camp as a draft pick from the Canadian Football League. The Lichtenstein matter was serious, and they were close to getting an inside look at the operation. But with Lee supposedly in training, it had been getting more difficult for him to get his information back to Billy. So Billy had arranged for a messenger to run the information from Lee to the Agency. Again, Billy was grateful Lee had picked her out that morning at the train station. He had picked up his phone, and called Mrs. King, yet again. She had minored in photojournalism in college, so posing as a sports reporter had been easy for her. This partnership was proving to be very advantageous for all concerned.

Unfortunately, Lee and Amanda managed to run afoul of a bookie who was blackmailing Bela Pravik to throw a few field goals to influence the spread. When they had disappeared, along with Bela, the man who could identify Lazlo, the assassin, things had gotten tense. Billy had sent people out looking for his team, but they had disappeared without a trace. When Bela had appeared the next morning, in time for the game, Billy had been relieved, but still worried that Lee and Amanda were nowhere to be found. Still, no bodies had surfaced, so he had every reason to believe they were still alive. Then, at the last minute, Lee had appeared and thwarted the murder attempt on Bela, and Amanda had stopped Lazlo cold. It turned out, they had been tied up all night in straightjackets in a bookie joint. They weren't hurt, and managed to get their man and stop the assassination of the Prime Minister, so their solve rate was still the highest in his unit. And their luck was still holding. All in all, it had been relatively easy on all of them, and Billy was glad for that.

During The Long Christmas Eve December 19, 1983

Billy Melrose watched Lucas leave the bullpen. He went into his office, and shut the blinds. Then he sat down at his desk, and opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out a bottle of bourbon, and poured himself a stiff drink. These days were the ones he hated the most. Lucas had just told him a crack commando squad had been dispatched to the cabin in the hills where Ted Rudolph, codename Janus had holed up. The man was burnt out, and making demands. Billy had tried to defuse the situation by sending Scarecrow in with his partner Mrs. King, who was posing as Rudolph's long-lost daughter, Karen. They were just supposed to make contact, and bring Janus in.

Who knew Janus was under active observation by the KGB? And now, all of them were about to be executed by the US military's finest. Nothing personal, all in the interests of national security. Damn the oversight committee. They didn't know any of the people they had just condemned to death. They had no idea they would be orphaning two young boys. And if they did, they probably wouldn't care. "I'm sure you explained all the risks involved very clearly to her," Lucas had said in his smug tone. The man had no heart. Damn him to hell and back.

Billy downed his drink in one gulp, and poured another. He prayed that somehow, a Christmas miracle would occur, and all his people would get home safe and sound. If there was a God, and he fervently believed so, then He couldn't allow Amanda King to be executed for national security. She, and her sons, didn't deserve that. Billy said another prayer, and prepared to wait for as long as it took. He owed it to them to be there when the news came down. God grant the news would be good, and everyone would come back alive. It would be a very long Christmas Eve for Billy, waiting for news.


	5. Chapter 5

Billy's Case Files part 5

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

During Remembrance of Things Past January 9, 1984

Billy Melrose, Agency section chief, sat at his desk with all the requisite paperwork. This was the bureaucratic task he hated the most: filling out the paperwork when an agent died in the line of duty. Thank heavens it was a ruse this time. Still, the news had been a big shock for the rest of the unit. Lee Stetson, Scarecrow, was a somewhat larger-than-life personality at the Agency. For everyone to be told he had died at the hands of an unknown assassin, someone who was killing all the young, dashing, single agents in Washington, was depressing. Billy knew Lee was the sole survivor of the assassin's attacks, but for the rest…

As Billy made the arrangements for Lee's 'funeral', a simple graveside ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, with a 21 gun salute, which he was entitled to as a veteran, he planned his next task. Someone had to go to Mrs. King's house, to give her the news. He longed to pass this off on another agent, but he knew as section chief, and Lee's friend, this task fell to him alone. He would wait until lunch time. That was when Amanda's boys would still be at school, and her mother would be out lunching with friends. So she would be alone, and have some time to absorb the news and hopefully recover a bit before her family returned.

It was what was going to happen, three days in the future that Billy was worried about. Lee would show up at Amanda's house after the funeral. He and Lee had agreed the assassin was someone inside the Agency—hence the mock funeral—and Lee needed to be somewhere nobody there would suspect. And where better, than at the house of his 'unofficial' partner? But in the interests of security, only Billy and Lee knew he had not been killed by the attack the previous evening, but only wounded. So poor Amanda would spend the next three days thinking Lee was really dead. And Billy knew it would be hard on the woman. She had been working with Scarecrow for three months, and she had become something of a fixture around the office in that short time. Her cookies and warm caring concern for everyone had made the place a bit more—human. But her caring concern was something of a liability in these situations, when necessary deceit demanded detachment. She would truly grieve for Lee. And Billy knew the woman held more than a merely professional regard for her partner. She cared deeply for the man. Maybe even loved him—whatever it was that wasn't Billy's business.

He knew she would be overjoyed to find out Lee was alive, and perhaps also be angry that she had not been let into the plan. But would she recover fully? This sort of deceit and emotional flip-flop wore on the soul. Usually it took longer for an agent to be tested in this way. For poor Amanda it had come relatively quickly. Billy knew from personal experience how wearing it could be. Eventually, you learned to keep a protective emotional distance at work, and just never opened up fully anymore to colleagues. As long as a person had close family ties, it could be managed. But for someone like Amanda, who wore her heart on her sleeve, would she want to continue in the business? Could she come back, knowing that next time it could be real—that Scarecrow would really be dead? Or that it was her death which might be reported, either falsely or for real?

She couldn't share her world at the Agency with her family. They had no idea she worked there. Maybe Billy could see to making her an 'official' employee of IFF, International Federal Film, the Agency's cover business. She had minored in photojournalism, so it wouldn't look that odd. So far, she had disguised her Agency activities behind the screen of clubs and most recently a walking and watering service. But that wouldn't last forever. And it looked like this unlikely partnership would last for the foreseeable future. In a way, this was probably the final exam for Mrs. King. If she weathered this assignment with all its emotional ups and downs, and she and Scarecrow managed to solve the case yet again, and she still wanted to do the work, she was probably a lifer.

Even if Scarecrow had died, there would be a place for Amanda King in Billy's unit. At least as long as he was section chief, he wanted the woman around. Not only was she an asset in working with Stetson, but she was a whiz at transcribing and the other paperwork minutiae that abounded in the world of espionage. Nobody could make sense of expense reports like she could. And she had some challenges in figuring it out from the scattered notes and receipts given her by her partner. So Billy would do what he could to keep her around. But the question this time was; would she want to stay? Only time would tell. And so he finished up the last of his immediate task, made a few necessary phone calls, and headed out to meet with Mrs. King and give her the sad news in person. Hopefully she would be able to forgive him, when the case was over.

Before Lost and Found January 16, 1984

Billy Melrose, section chief, read the report out of Moscow. Dr. Angelo Spinelli—rescued from a psychiatric hospital—currently in transit to the US. The plan was to place him in witness relocation after the Agency debriefed him. Which could take a month or more—considering the amount of knowledge he had and his psychological condition—which was shaky.

A safe house had been set up, and furnished for long-term occupancy. The debriefing team had yet to be determined—but one thing Billy was sure of—he would not allow Scarecrow on that team. Lee's involvement with the Spinellis—correction—now only Angelo Spinelli—could impair his objectivity. Even though Lee had never said anything about his relationship with Eva, Billy knew the signs of love. And Lee had definitely been in love with Eva Fortuna, Dr. Spinelli's lab assistant. Unfortunately for Lee, she had married Dr. Spinelli.

Billy knew he shouldn't be emotionally biased when it came to the people in his unit—but he'd always had a soft spot for Scarecrow. And he had suffered along with Lee when the man returned from Italy, alone. The man had the stuffing knocked out of him. He still did the job—went through the motions—but is heart wasn't in it. Billy had paired Lee with Eric Jarvis—and slowly Scarecrow came back to life. He and Eric had become friends—Lee had even become 'Uncle Lee' to Bethy—Eric's young daughter.

Billy sighed. 'That's water under the bridge. Eric's gone, and now Eva, too. Damn the KGB!' Now Billy had to make arrangements to help Dr. Spinelli build a new life for himself. Billy knew exactly who would be the most helpful—someone who excelled at making people feel comfortable and at ease. Someone with a warm and human touch. Amanda King would be perfect—she could help Dr. Spinelli set up housekeeping and also gently and carefully ease him into a more normal life. She'd probably get friendly and she could—unofficially—start the debriefing just by being her normal, friendly, curious, helpful self.

Billy checked the duty roster again. Scarecrow was in Sri Lanka making contact with several operatives and debriefing them. He should be there for another three or four days at least. A couple of the people were in remote locations and travel was difficult and time-consuming.

Billy had sent Lee out of the country to help him decompress from his recent 'death' and the close contact with Amanda King. They worked well together—but Lee had confided to Billy that living at Amanda's house was just a bit too much 'normal life' for him. They had closed the case—found the killer—and so as a reward Billy sent Lee overseas for an easy assignment as a sort of 'down time' from his partner. It was a delicate balance—between letting Scarecrow work solo and having Mrs. King work with him. So far, all his overseas assignments were solo—but Billy knew that could easily change. If a case came up that required Amanda's unique skills—she'd be on a plane as soon as she could get packed. Billy had arranged for a passport for her as soon as it became clear she was going to be working with Scarecrow on a more-or-less permanent basis. So far, only Billy 'officially' knew they were partnered—but the rest of the unit had figured it out. Only Lee had yet to realize he was permanently partnered with Amanda. Or maybe he was still hoping she'd get bored or scared off or find another job elsewhere…

But this time Billy needed Amanda without Lee. So as Lee was conveniently out of the country, he'd call Mrs. King and enlist her help with Dr. Spinelli.


	6. Chapter 6

Billy's Case Files part 6

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

I Am Not Now … Nor Have I Ever Been … A Spy January 30, 1984

The morning meeting of the field unit of the Agency ran as usual. Billy Melrose—the section chief—presided.

"One more thing, people. Polo DeGregorio of San Cardenza is due here tomorrow. We need to find out the parts of his itinerary he isn't disclosing to us. We also need to get more on that group of San Cardenzan exiles headed by El Lagarto. We need to know what they are planning for their President's visit. Martinez is our man on the inside there—Scarecrow, you're his contact—anything?" Billy addressed his top agent.

"No Billy. I have a meet set up with another contact—and Martinez is due for a drop today."

"What about your other contacts, can they give you anything?"

"Billy, I can only make those two meets this morning…" Lee spread his hands in a gesture of futility.

"Then use Amanda. Surely she can make contact with a couple people before lunch."

Lee shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Yeah, I suppose…" he replied in a less-than-enthusiastic voice.

Billy nodded. "Good. Then have her make whatever contacts you can arrange this morning." He turned and addressed the whole room. "People, we need everyone on this—let's beat the bushes—make those extra calls—we need to solicit information—this time we can't afford to wait for it to come to us." He turned to his assistant. "Francine, you're in charge of the itinerary—Scarecrow get whatever you can and hopefully Martinez will be able to get you something useful. Get going, people. Report to me or Francine as soon as you have something."

As the meeting broke up, Lee stopped Billy. "Look, are you sure Amanda can handle this? Going in alone to pick up information?"

"That depends on what you can arrange for her. She can certainly manage picking up information at a drop—all she needs to know is where to go and how to pick up the message." Billy sounded helpful.

Lee ran his a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah…" he agreed reluctantly, "but you know Amanda—if anything can go wrong—it will."

"Then make sure it won't—but use her. We need as much information we can get as fast as we can. Do it, Scarecrow, that's an order."

"OK, Billy. I hear you. I'll make the calls."

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy was at his desk around lunch when his phone rang. "Melrose—What?" He talked to Scarecrow for a couple minutes, but their call was ended abruptly. He shook his head, replaced the receiver and waited for his agent to call back.

A few minutes later, the phone rang again. "Melrose. Scarecrow—what happened?" Billy went right to the point.

"Amanda was grabbed by two goons while I was on the phone with you. I wasn't able to stop them, but I got the license and make of the car." Lee relayed the information to his section chief.

"I'll run this immediately."

"Billy—they have Amanda—I tried…"

"Get back here, man. Hopefully by the time you're back we'll have something for you to follow up on."

Lee nodded dejectedly. "She has to be OK…"

"We'll do all we can. Now get back here."

"OK Billy, see you soon."

Billy hung up the phone, then he called out. A moment later, Francine entered his office. "Run this information—two guys using this car grabbed Mrs. King from the drop. Scarecrow's coming back in and we can coordinate from here."

"Got it. What is it about that woman? That was supposed to be a safe drop." Francine commented as she left the office.

"Obviously it isn't safe any more. Get what you can, and get it to me with copies for Scarecrow."

Francine nodded as she left.

Billy sat back in his padded chair. 'Lee was right—if Amanda hadn't been there, we wouldn't be looking for her right now. We don't need this—I need my manpower concentrating on those San Cardenzan exiles—finding out their plans.' He sighed. 'She's come through for us so many times—we owe it to her to do our best to get her back.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

An hour later Billy had called Lee into his office—their discussion was interrupted by a phone call. After he hung up he addressed Lee. "Martinez has surfaced."

Lee looked up at Billy. "Where?"

"The Potomac." Billy said with finality. They were silent for a moment.

"Billy—these guys have Amanda—we've got to—"

Billy cut him off. "Scarecrow, we're doing all we can. You can go back there and continue beating the bushes. Any information we can get will help us find Mrs. King, OK?"

Lee rose to leave, but turned back to the section chief. "You tell me the minute you get anything. And I mean anything." He left.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

A couple hours later, Lee was back in Billy's office, discussing the results of Martinez's autopsy…

"Lee that drop has always been safe. There's no way you could have known." Billy was trying to assuage the agent's guilt.

Lee rose to leave, and Billy tried to help. "There's a copy of the Martinez file on your desk, if you'd care to look through it again."

Lee nodded, and left to check it out.

Billy waited for the door to shut, and then picked up his phone. "Francine, run a check with the police and the local hospitals for anyone matching the description of Amanda King. And if you get anything—tell me first—let me deal with Scarecrow. Got it?"

"Oh yeah—gladly." Francine replied.

Billy replaced the phone and looked out into the bullpen—then sat back at his desk. He rubbed his temples. 'Amanda, if you have any luck—you need it now. Those people who grabbed you are killers. I hope you can get out of there in one piece. Because I don't want to have to put Scarecrow back together again—after losing another partner. I don't know if he can get through that again. Hell, I don't know if I can get through that again.' He sighed deeply, and returned to his work.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

A half-hour later, Billy picked up his phone, it was Francine. "Billy, I have Georgetown General on the line—here's the nurse in charge of the ER."

"William Melrose here, do you have anything on our missing person?"

"Yes, sir. A woman answering that description came in a couple hours ago—a car accident. She was unconscious at first—then later came to. She knew her name—Amanda King—but she had no memory of the car accident that injured her. We called her home, and her mother is here. Was that OK?"

"Yes, thank you. What's her prognosis?"

"She has a mild concussion, bumps and bruises, but otherwise she's OK."

"Thank you. I'll send one of my people down to talk to her."

"Should we hold her?"

"No, just let us know when she leaves. Thank you for your help."

Billy hung up the phone and called out the door. "Scarecrow—in here—now!"

Lee came into Billy's office quickly. "You hear anything?"

Billy nodded. "She's at Georgetown General—alive. She was in a car accident—a bit banged up—but otherwise OK. Get down there and talk to her. See if you can get information about this group, who kidnapped her, and where she was held. It may be the lead we've been looking for."

"That's great, Billy. I'll get right down there. Thanks!" Lee bounded out of the office.

Billy sat down heavily. 'Yes, it's great today. But one day she may not be OK—or even alive. How will he react to that? But I can't split them up—they're my best team.' He shook his head. 'Don't play 'what if'. Just take it as it comes. That's all any of us can do.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

"Billy, she's gone!"

Billy tried to make sense of what Lee was trying to tell him on the phone. "What do you mean—she was just there."

"I got off the phone with you, I went to check on her—and she was gone. The window was open, so she must have left by the fire escape. I looked everywhere, but she's gone." Lee was pacing as he talked.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'll look around here some more. Maybe she's walking home. I can try to drive along the route."

"That sounds like a plan—but don't take too long. If you don't find her soon—come back in. We can coordinate from here."

"Those guys are watching her house—if she goes back there…"

"Do what you need to, but find her." Billy hung up. 'One minute he's trying to convince me he can adapt to anything, and offering to re-train her. The next he's frantic because she's disappeared. She's definitely gotten under his skin. I wonder if he realizes how hooked he is. I don't want to fire her, and I suppose I was a bit harsh suggesting it. She still can type 90 words a minute, and do the transcriptions and expense reports. But will she be able to be Scarecrow's partner if she doesn't regain her memory? Time will tell.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Late that evening, Billy was wrapping up the paperwork on the group of exiles they had rounded up. All in all it had been a satisfying, if nerve-wracking day.

'Amnesia. If anyone would have it—it would be Amanda King. The doctor said she might repress anything that was emotionally complicated. And after today's roller coaster, its obvious Lee Stetson is emotionally complicated for her. She's over her first crush—her hero worship. She's managed to tone it down—and they work effectively together. Just having this double life is probably emotionally complicated for her as well. Certainly it must be difficult when dealing with her family.'

He sat back and thought further. 'It's also emotionally complicated for Lee Stetson, though he probably doesn't realize it. He's protective of her—he wants to keep her safe—and he feels massively guilty if something happens to her. That's the survivor's guilt. I know I'm playing with fire here—if anything does happen to her—Stetson may not be able to bounce back once again. Could he be in love with her? If so, he doesn't even realize it yet. He has strong feelings for her—and they seem to go beyond just that of partners. They do connect on a very deep level. They have a rapport that few teams ever achieve. It's a great asset—but it can also be a liability if one is ever used as leverage against the other.'

'Still, Mrs. King has her boyfriend, and Stetson is as active on the circuit as ever. They aren't a couple, for which I'm grateful. That little development would add complications none of us need. But why am I worrying? She's not his type, and he'll never settle for what Amanda King will demand he give her in a relationship. Scarecrow in a relationship? Never in a million years. Still, I can hope…'

'But they're my best team. They get the job done. And Mrs. King is one in a million. I wish I had a few more employees like her. She's endlessly cheerful, she's always enthusiastic and does a good job every time. She doesn't argue or complain—she takes whatever assignment I give her and does it quietly and efficiently. And she can calm Scarecrow down in a second. Of course, their arguments are also legendary. They keep the betting pools going.'

He sighed, and returned to his paperwork. 'The case ended well. Martinez died, but nobody else did. We broke up the exile group, and saved Arlington from nerve gas. All-in-all we gained more than we lost. And that's the best we can get, some days. And tomorrow, we start all over again.'


	7. Chapter 7

Billy's Case Files part 7

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

After Dead Ringer February 10, 1984  
Billy Melrose sat at his desk reviewing expense reports. Extensive repairs on Amanda King's station wagon. Again. Billy felt sorry for Amanda's car. Of course, it was better to have car damage than personal injuries.

Billy was still amazed at Amanda's driving when she eluded the Romanians taking Magda Petrak to the airport. That was some fancy maneuvering. Too bad she ended up in a ditch. He was not surprised Amanda had opened her home to Lee so Magda could be debriefed. Amanda would be gracious to Attila the Hun if it was important to the job, and to Lee Stetson.

And all that was right after Amanda had been in a car crash and suffered traumatic amnesia. The doctor had pronounced her completely recovered but Billy was still surprised she could drive aggressively so soon after that crash. The woman recovered quickly and bounced back. Maybe he could see if she could get some defensive driving training. She already had some of the skills—adding to them would help make her more effective and maybe she'd manage to elude the bad guys next time.

Billy was happy the amnesia had been short-lived. He really would have missed Amanda around the office, and everyone else would have also. 'Scarecrow even wondered if we could retrain her. Said he could adapt to almost anything. That says a lot. He doesn't want to lose her as a partner. That's more than just his feeling responsible for her. I think he is actually starting to like working with her. Took long enough. She cares about him. We were all surprised how hard she took his faked death last month. That's one of the bad things about this business – the deceptions, the lies. But she seems to believe in Lee totally. I don't know whether that's good or bad. It's still a good productive partnership. Great solve rate. Well worth the expense of repairing the station wagon now and again.'

During The Mole February 13, 1984  
The morning after the Viktor operation was blown, Billy sat in his office. The morning meeting had gone badly, the unit was in disarray and most of the people had fled to Nedlingers for an early lunch. Probably mostly liquid, if Billy knew the mood of his people.

He downed a couple of antacids and fumed inwardly. 'Damn! Viktor got away again. I swear—that man must have a direct pipeline into my field unit! It's just a matter of time before Blue Leader calls me and starts an internal.'

He looked over the files of the other two blown operations. Looking at the personnel involved Billy realized his entire field unit was involved. Except—wait! Scarecrow hadn't been in the country during the previous two operations, so he couldn't be the leak. Suddenly Billy had a sick feeling in his gut. Blue Leader had probably already started the internal—'Since I was involved in all three operations—I'm a suspect as well,' he realized with a further sinking feeling. 'And as Scarecrow was out of the country for the previous two… He's the guy stuck with the assignment. Oh boy.'

Just then, Billy's phone rang.

"Melrose here."

Amanda King's cheery voice replied, "Good Morning, sir."

"Good Morning Mrs. King." Billy hoped his voice didn't betray his disquietude.

"Sir, I'm really sorry to bother you, but I've been calling Lee all morning and he isn't anywhere to be found, and he hasn't answered any of my messages and I need to get something to him that he left in my car."

Billy looked out into the mostly empty bullpen, "He isn't in the office right now."

"Oh?" she replied, then continued undaunted, "Do you know where he is right now? Or where he will be? I really think he needs this…"

Suddenly Billy had an idea. If Lee was doing the internal, he'd need some help. Nobody in the unit could help him—they were all suspects. Except Amanda wasn't with the Agency during the last two blown operations, so she couldn't be a suspect either. And she was very good with the paperwork and research… Billy made a quick decision. "He's probably at Nedlinger's. You might try to catch up with him there."

"Thank you sir," She sounded relieved. "I'll be glad to get this to Lee."

"You're welcome, Mrs. King. Have a nice day."

"You too, sir. Good bye."

Billy hung up the phone. 'Well Scarecrow—I hope you have enough sense to ask for help with your internal. It's too big a job for you to do by yourself—and your partner is someone who can be a big help. Besides, with both of them on the case, they'll solve it in no time. Maybe Blue Leader knew what he was doing when he drafted Scarecrow for this one.'

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Later, when everyone had returned, Billy noticed Amanda was not among the group. Well, he'd give Scarecrow another shove in the right direction. He called a meeting in the conference room, and laid it out for everyone, full complete reports from all involved. As they left grumbling and complaining, Billy held Lee back. He wanted Lee's report two days earlier than the others, and with more detailed analysis. Predictably, Lee complained, and that's when Billy played his ace, offering Scarecrow an assistant who had a grade 10 security clearance and could type 90 words a minute. Lee immediately understood Billy meant Amanda, and that it wasn't just a suggestion. Even though Lee made a face at the thought of being 'forced' to work with Amanda again, Billy saw him go straight to his desk and make a call. Then he puttered around for a few minutes, and left.

'I've done all I can. Scarecrow is going to meet with Amanda at a neutral site and outline the assignment, and throw in the internal as well. With those two on the case, I know we'll find our mole.' He noticed his stomach suddenly felt a lot better.


	8. Chapter 8

Billy's Case Files part 8

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Before Savior February 27, 1984  
Billy and Lee were meeting in Billy's office, with the blinds drawn.

"You understand everyone will have to believe you quit to work for Edson Ballon. No exceptions."

"Yeah Billy, I do this for a living—I know what's required." Lee sounded a bit exasperated as he reviewed the file on Ballon. "Not even Francine—It'll be good pulling one over on her!"

"It's not Francine I'm worried about, Scarecrow." Billy's tone was dark.

"What? You think I'd tell Amanda about all this? Please! The woman is a walking magnet for disaster. I'll make sure she stays far away from this."

"How?"

Lee shrugged. "I just won't tell her. As long as she's not called in, she won't know anything. She's not plugged in. She has to get info from someone here, and as long as she has no contact—no problem." He was dismissive.

Billy thought about it—Scarecrow was right. As long as Amanda King had no contact from anyone at the Agency—she was in the dark. He nodded. "All right. Stay away from her, and hopefully you can have this wrapped up by the time she's needed again."

"Yeah, well maybe she won't be needed again." Lee looked hopefully at his boss.

"We use our people as they are needed. Mrs. King's skills have come in very handy since last fall. For you, and this unit. On many occasions. She's a whiz as transcriptions and your reports and expenses have been in order since she started. Quite a change from previously." Billy looked smug.

"Fine, I'll concede she's a whiz at the paperwork. And it makes my life easier to let her do it for me…" He trailed off, realizing he was getting in a bit deep. "But she's caused a few problems also."

"Yes, I distinctly recall her kidnapping caused one of my best agents to commit treason to rescue her—against direct orders." Billy was still disgruntled about that one.

"Hey! Dirk is a soulless paper-pusher. His orders hardly count when it comes to my experience in the field. And we cleared that one up—we recaptured Rostov AND three other Soviet agents as well."

Billy just gave Lee a look that said 'Gotcha!'

Lee shifted uncomfortably. Then he gathered the papers in the file and deposited it on Billy's desk. "You ready to start this?"

"No time like the present." Billy accepted his victory with quiet aplomb.

They prepared themselves to stage Lee's resignation, in a way that the whole unit would find entirely believable.

After Savior February 27, 1984

Billy read over the letter of reprimand he was placing in Fred Fielder's file. He was sadly disappointed in the man. He was no whiz at the job, but Billy expected better of a team leader than to cut and run when he discovered Savior was armed and live. And when he ran, the rest of his team followed him. That was the worst part of it. Well, Fred Fielder would ride a desk for a couple of months to reinforce the reprimand. Billy had no patience with gross cowardice.

He turned to the next letter—a letter of praise for Amanda King's file. Once again the housewife-turned-spy had come through when other agents had cut and run. That's what made Billy's disappointment in Fred Fielder all the more acute. This women—a 'mere' Civilian Auxiliary had stayed and supplied the means to neutralize the missile. The "Go Bombers" pin had looked incongruous atop the missile—but whatever it took, Billy was fine with it.

Once again Billy was grateful to whatever Guardian Angel looked over the Agency for providing them all with Amanda King. Sure, it seemed like a coincidence that Scarecrow had picked her out of the crowd that October day—but time and again he came to understand it was more like fate that had brought her to their little group. And she was an integral part—he couldn't imagine his field unit without her cheerful presence. Hopefully she'd stay for a long time. And it was up to him to help keep her there.

After The Artful Dodger March 5, 1984  
It was late, and Billy was finishing up his report on the capture of The Artful Dodger. He had tried to divert attention from Mrs. King's part in the near-disaster, but he couldn't do it. It was her connection with Scarecrow that had provided the Dodger with an in to the plans of the Agency. And that ring!

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Lee was right—an experienced agent would have immediately spotted his 'accident' at the store as a setup. She had been impressed by his good manners and fancy car. Billy had forgotten she didn't have the training the rest of his field agents had. Hell, she wasn't a field agent at all—just a civilian auxiliary. He had authorized low-level training for her: training tapes and a few general classes that all Agency employees took. But she needed more.

He had finally managed to get Amanda a 'job' with IFF—the Agency's cover business. So at least she had that as an excuse for her mother when she was called out on a case. And with that 'official' job came some additional basic training. But she was well beyond that, now. She had been operating as Scarecrow's partner for almost 6 months. They had a great solve rate, and neither had been killed or seriously injured. It was just that while she had amazing instincts and learned quickly, there were some rather dangerous gaps in her education. As Scarecrow and Francine had rather emphatically pointed out to her. They had been harsh—but maybe she needed that. One thing was for sure—she had certainly learned the lesson about setups and looking past good manners and elegant trappings. It was too bad she had to do so in such a humiliating manner. Billy thought philosophically—maybe that would help reinforce the lesson. Her contrition and eagerness to remedy her mistake had been sincere—with little resentment. That was one of the things that endeared Mrs. King to him. She had so little resentment or personal defenses after making mistakes. She calmly and rationally admitted her mistakes—when it was finally explained to her in a calm and adult manner—which was something Scarecrow had to work on. Oh well—it could have been worse. Now it was up to him to help insure that it didn't happen again—because in their business—mistakes could be—and sometimes were—fatal.

Once again Billy pulled out the forms for additional training, and proceeded to fill in Amanda King's name. She was certainly enthusiastic, and took whatever training he managed with cheerful gratitude. As long as it helped keep her—and her partner—alive and operating effectively—it was well worth it.

During Filming Raul March 19, 1984  
Billy and Lee were in Billy's office, and Francine was downstairs in wardrobe, dressing down as a 'typical' housewife.

"Not this time, Scarecrow. I need a full agent in there—we don't know what will happen. And she's been involved enough. Francine will deliver the tape to the kidnappers. That's my final word." Billy was emphatic but not unkind. "Have Amanda exchange jackets with Francine or something. In case they've been monitoring her movements."

Lee shrugged. "I figured that's what you'd say. Are you going to call her and explain it?"

"No, that's your job. She's your partner."

"Awww Billy, she's NOT my partner."

"Well, whatever she is, she is YOUR responsibility. So it's up to you to explain it to her."

"RHIP, rank hath it's privileges, Huh?"

Billy smiled at his top agent. "Something like that. Blame it on me—tell her it was my decision."

"Because it was."

"Yes it was, but I didn't hear you complaining or trying to make me change my mind about it."

Lee smiled disarmingly. "I don't often disagree with your decisions."

Billy snorted. "Just the ones that have you working closely with Mrs. King."

Lee shrugged again. "Not even all of those. Just the ones that might get her in trouble."

Billy gave Lee a 'look'. "Be that as it may, this time Francine will impersonate her, and she will stay behind with you. Where it's hopefully safe."

After Lee had left Billy mused over his conversation with his top agent. 'He seems to be more accepting of using Mrs. King in his cases. He has been less resistant when I suggest we use her. Could he be finally accepting her as his partner? Well—maybe not that—but it's easier these days, and I—for one—am grateful for it. Now if they could just stop arguing with each other so much…'


	9. Chapter 9

Billy's Case Files part 9

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

After Fearless Dotty April 5, 1984

Billy was once again reviewing reports. It sure felt good nailing Karlo. The man was scum, pure and simple. Though how Amanda – correction – Amanda's mother managed to get mixed up in the whole thing... Genetics. It must run in the family.

The hair salon was a major expense. But thankfully nobody was hurt—which was a miracle considering the place was full of civilians. And Lee was being more considerate of Amanda. What he went through to get that Captain Galaxy for Amanda's son. He pulled in a lot of favors and even asked his uncle the Colonel for help with the Air Force transport. But it arrived in time. And the book also. Of course Billy was happy to help; he had daughters and understood how important birthdays were. But the thought of Lee Stetson going all out for a child's birthday present! It was just something Billy would have never envisioned six months ago. Even for one of his girlfriends – though heaven knows Lee never dated any woman with children. He's certainly not dating Amanda King – but he is partnered with her.

Just six short months, what a turnaround for Scarecrow! From heavily stressed out and practically suicidal back to top agent and also partner and mentor to a suburban housewife with two young boys. And the partnership works! Sometimes we all wonder how – but it works. Their solve rate is still amazing. Scarecrow had been shot a couple of times, knifed; Amanda was in a car crash, mugged, kidnapped a few times – OK they had not escaped totally unscathed, but there was nothing fatal or permanently debilitating. As section chief, Billy knew injury was a price most agents paid. Hell, a year without at least one death was rare. It was a dangerous business they all were in. And still Amanda King stuck with it. With Scarecrow. Billy had no illusions – it was Lee Stetson that kept Mrs. King coming back. I wonder if Lee knows how lucky he is to have handed her that package back last October. Lee's still on the dating circuit – the steno pool still talks about his exploits. But he seems to confine his activities mostly to weekends these days. There have been fewer late mornings, showing up looking much the worse for wear. Granted, the man would never win awards for morning punctuality, but he was taking better care of himself and definitely indulged in fewer all-nighters, burning the candle at both ends. 'I wonder where he spends his evenings these days? Scarecrow isn't the stay at home and watch TV type. He does some of the parties and bars, but fewer than before. Where is he on his 'off' nights? He's toned it down a notch. That's good, he's 34 and he can't keep up that playboy pace forever.' Scarecrow would never settle down in domestic bliss, but just to see him toning it down was a big relief to Billy. Too many chances to get himself killed being with a different woman every night. Not to mention the potential security risks.

Mrs. King was another dynamic entirely. As long as she stayed unmarried, Billy could count on her working with Lee. But if she married again... She could possibly still work at the Agency, but Billy knew her field days would be over. Unless she got used to field work on her own. Maybe he could give her a few low-level assignments, give her the confidence that she could do the work without Lee. Billy would watch out for something that might suit a solo Amanda King. 'Have to make sure my best team stays together.'

At the start of Weekend April 23, 1984

Billy and Lee were in the Agency, staring at a screen full of unavailable female agents' names. Francine had just left with a toothache, and they were pondering finding a replacement to accompany Lee to the Cumberland.

"Y'know Billy, I don't need a special agent for this. I just need somebody with the right security clearance." Lee turned to his boss with a knowing look.

Billy met his look. 'Is Lee suggesting who I think he is? On his own?' Billy didn't let his thoughts show as he answered. "Yes, that's right." He waited for his best agent to make the suggestion himself.

"Well, Amanda has the requisite clearance."

"That's true."

"And she's someone I can call on at short notice."

Billy checked his watch. "Well you'd better get going, then. You need to be there by 5 o'clock."

Back in his office, Billy pondered what had just transpired. 'Lee Stetson volunteered to take Amanda with him on a weekend assignment at the Cumberland. Will wonders never cease?' He shook his head in disbelief. 'I knew he was getting more comfortable working with her. He used her to help catch Viktor and Benson. But I helped by pushing her at him on that one. This time he suggested her on his own. Without an argument. I do believe our Scarecrow is finally becoming accustomed to working with his partner.'

Billy smiled. 'I wonder how Amanda will take it when she learns they are going in as newlyweds? And if Scarecrow will end up regretting it? Some days I wish I was doing surveillance on them. Then I'd get the whole story, and not just what they put in their reports. But this way, I can try to figure it out by myself. It keeps my observation skills sharp.'

'For a top agent, Scarecrow is remarkably dense about himself. Does Lee realize what he just did? Probably not—he's fixated on getting the job done. And he'll probably tell her it was my idea anyhow. He may not even realize what he just did.' Billy chuckled and sat back in his chair with a smug look. 'But I do. Melrose, some days things just work out right. And that day at the train station was one of those days for you, Scarecrow, Mrs. King and the Agency.'

And Billy closed his eyes, stretched his hands behind his head and smiled in sheer satisfaction. 'Some days, I sure do love my job!'

After Waiting For Godorsky May 7, 1984

Billy placed the paper commendations signed by Princess Valoskaya into Scarecrow's and Mrs. King's personal files. 'It may not be official, but things like this always look good in an agent's file. And especially in the file of a civilian auxiliary.'

Amanda King's file was pretty thick—thicker than any other civilian auxiliary—and she'd been with the Agency less than a year. Yes, but what a year! From unknowing unsuccessful mule to partner with his top agent and half of his best team. 'She is some woman. Scarecrow certainly knows how to pick 'em.'

Only this woman hadn't been chosen by Scarecrow for his usual purposes. Billy was certain he hadn't slept with her—or more properly that she hadn't slept with him. He thought back to the previous September when he had despaired for his top agent. He remembered the prayer he had made for a new partner for Scarecrow—'someone none of us would ever expect'. Well his prayer had been answered, and Billy and the Agency had gotten more than he had hoped for. Not only had Amanda King managed to make Scarecrow a better, more cautious agent, she was a valuable asset in and of herself. Her secretarial skills were amazing. Her ability to get more out of a simple surveillance tape than most anyone else was a godsend. And even Scarecrow admitted she was a whiz at the paperwork, and the rest of the administration had breathed a sigh of relief when she had taken over his reports and expense sheets.

'Yes, our Scarecrow picked her out of the crowd—but I was the one who helped and encouraged the unconventional partnership. Hopefully, it will last long into the future.' Billy raised his coffee cup—'To you, Amanda. I hope you're getting as much out of this as the rest of us are. Because this place would certainly be less without you. Thank you for sticking with it—with him.'


	10. Chapter 10

Billy's Case Files part 10

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Between First and Second seasons

June 9, 1984  
Billy Melrose sat at his desk reviewing expense vouchers. Some of the things his agents tried to slip by as job related.... Francine's designer gowns—well she did wear them to embassy parties—but her regular hair salon appointments—definitely not! Still, he had to give her points for trying.

Then the phone rang. "Melrose here."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Melrose. I trust things are well with you and yours."

"Emily Farnsworth—good to hear from you! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"I rang Lee up but he's not answering—is he somewhere I can contact him?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Farnsworth, but Lee is out of the country at present—contact zero."

"Oh bad show. I'm in town for a week or so and I had so looked forward to catching up with him. Did he go alone on this assignment?"

"Yes, he usually works solo when out of the country."

"So his ... partner ... is still in D.C?"

Billy chuckled. "What have you heard, Mrs. Farnsworth?"

"Only that Scarecrow has a new partner, and she's quite different to any other agent working there at the Agency."

"Well yes, Mrs. King is certainly different. But she works well with Scarecrow and they have a great solve rate."

"Indeed! Could you arrange for me to meet her? Informally, of course. I'd like to be able to size her up myself and see just what kind of woman is able to keep our Scarecrow in line."

Billy laughed. "You've got that right! You should hear them argue, but they get the job done, and that's what counts. I tell you what; Mrs. King is a civilian auxiliary..."

"She's not a full agent?"

"No, she's not. But she has amazing instincts... She can 'show you around D.C.' Wife of a foreign dignitary sort of thing. I'll have her pick you up at the embassy and you can spend a couple of days 'sightseeing' together. How will that be?"

"That will do just fine Mr. Melrose. I'll expect her at 9am tomorrow morning. I do look forward to meeting this amazing woman. It sounds like she's good for Lee."

"You have no idea, Mrs. Farnsworth."

After Operation Sandstorm June 20, 1984  
Billy Melrose rubbed his eyes and tried to chase away his anxiety and weariness. It didn't help. At least the operation hadn't been totally blown. And really, it was a total coincidence that Amanda King had managed to walk right into the middle of a delicate exchange.

Unfortunately, things had gotten way too public for Billy's or Dirk's taste. Billy had spent time in the director's office, listening to the man detail the favors he had called in to smooth things over with the ATF and DEA. And to ensure the story the newspapers and TV got was appropriately innocent and didn't have anything to do with the Agency. ATF and DEA were now officially 'owed favors' by the Agency, and in the eternal game of intra-governmental politics, that was not the position the Agency wanted to be in. It was better to be owed, than to owe favors to others. Billy had used his own contacts to work the DC police. Otherwise the fallout might have been worse. As it was, Billy was able to keep Mrs. King employed, something that Dirk had been strongly against ever since the Rostov incident. But Billy thought Dirk wasn't long for his job, which is why he had yelled so loud and long. Billy had just stoically waited out the tirade, secure in the knowledge that 'this too, shall pass.'

Billy thought back to Lee's statement, that Amanda could get into trouble just by breathing, if it was possible. He had thought at the time, the man was being unduly harsh on his partner, but maybe Billy needed to revise his opinion. It was totally a coincidence. There was no way Amanda could have known about the Operation. Just a string of bad luck all around. So why did it always happen to Amanda? 'Now I'm starting to sound like Scarecrow.' Billy thought.

All's well that ends well, and there would be no more fallout from the blown operation. It was history, and hopefully everyone could go back to their jobs and forget about it. Give it a month or two, and nobody would have any reason to recall the incident. Ever again.


	11. Chapter 11

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 11

Second Season

Before To Catch A Mongoose October 1, 1984  
Conrad Walter Barnhill—Arlington High School, class of 1969. Billy looked at the yearbook without the photo of Barnhill—and then he remembered. He knew someone else in the unit who had attended Arlington High School. He turned the pages—there it was Amanda West—Arlington High School Class of 1969. Her picture looked pretty good, too—even after all these years. He grinned and chuckled to himself. This was too good to be true. He picked up the phone.

"Hello."

"Good morning, Mrs. King. I trust I'm not disturbing you."

"Oh no, sir. I was just doing dishes after breakfast. Do you need me to come in today? I know Lee's out of the country, but I'm free if you need me for anything."

"Actually, I need to ask you about an old high school classmate. Conrad Walter Barnhill. Do you remember him?"

"Connie Barnhill? —yeah I remember him. He was kind of shy and backward—some of the other boys picked on him. I think he got stuffed into a locker a couple of times. Why are you asking about Connie?"

"Scarecrow is in London on a case, and it seems Barnhill is mixed up somehow. We don't have any photos of the man—and so I need someone who can identify him, and it seems you are that person."

"Me? Would I have to go to London? I mean, I'd love to go to London—but won't Lee be a bit peeved when I show up? Is he expecting me?"

"I'll make the arrangements. You pack, and come in to the Agency. Take a cab, and we'll get you to the airport. I'll call Lee and let him know what flight you'll be arriving on."

"Um, sir. I don't have a passport or anything. Doesn't it take time to get something like that?"

"Mrs. King, we applied for a passport for you once it became clear you were going to be working with the unit on a semi-regular basis. It's a shame you haven't had to use it before now, but everything is here, and ready for you."

"Oh. Thank you, sir. I guess I should have known you people would be prepared with that sort of thing. I'll pack and be in as soon as I can get there. London. I've never been to Europe before--it will be an adventure."

"Thank you, Mrs. King. We'll see you when you arrive here. Please hurry, we need that identification as soon as possible."

After To Catch a Mongoose October 1, 1984  
Billy read the file from Scotland Yard on Scarecrow's—correction, Scarecrow and Mrs. King's latest case.

Catching the Mongoose, international thief and killer was definitely a coup for the Agency. Once again, Amanda's luck and instincts had helped turn the case.

Billy had been overjoyed when it turned out that Amanda had gone to high school with Barnhill, so she could ID him. She had gotten a passport shortly after it became clear to Billy she was Lee's new partner. It was surprising that it took almost a year for her to use it.

Scarecrow had not been happy when Amanda showed up in London. Up to now his overseas assignments had been strictly solo. He had told Billy they were like a vacation from Amanda King. But Billy was seeing through that. Lee had thought of using Amanda as his partner at the Cumberland Grand by himself. They were definitely more comfortable working together these days. Though their arguments...

Scotland Yard had observed them in action. Good cop-bad cop didn't work so Amanda just questioned Barnhill solo. And it worked! She got him to tell her everything. Even that he was in love with her. Billy could understand why.

"She has a style all her own." —That's what Lee had said and it was true.

Billy couldn't think of a more unlikely agent candidate—but Amanda had the drive, the smarts, the instincts and endless enthusiasm for the job. And an amazing ability to bounce back after things got tough. He suspected Lee had something to do with that. It's natural for partners to help each other over the rough spots—that's why agents tended to last longer when partnered.

Well, she had impressed Scotland Yard—they even thought she was an official agent. Scarecrow had an international rep, and now Amanda was gaining one of her own. She seemed shy about it. But Billy knew people worked better with praise for a job well done, so he would let Amanda know how she had impressed Scotland Yard—and him—when she returned. Maybe she could do some light overseas courier assignments. Billy would look out for any Amanda could manage. She would benefit from the experience.

Before The Times They Are a Changin' October 8, 1984

Billy, Lee and Francine were in Billy's office planning strategy for Hoddie Kemp's return to the US. "OK people, we have an understanding with Kemp. He will allow us to contact him, and arrange for his return to the US in exchange for any information he can give us. But he has a few conditions."

"I don't see why we can't manage to contact him ourselves." Francine was businesslike.

Lee replied in a way that showed they had been over this point several times already. "He doesn't want to deal with any agents. He says he's watched constantly, and his associates would spot an agent in a minute."

"That's right." Billy said, taking over the discussion. "And that's why we plan to use a tourist on vacation as the contact."

"OK, but what tourist? Who can we approach to do this for us?" Francine asked.

"I already have somebody in mind—in fact I've set the plans into motion. Right now, our people are at Amanda King's market, and when she next buys coffee—which I'm told she will be doing today or tomorrow—she will buy a can with a winning ticket. She will win an expense-paid trip for four to Munich for five days and four nights. The catch is, that she has to take the trip in two weeks—so she will be in Munich at the time we've planned for Kemp's return. Once she is there, we'll have Scarecrow contact her and she will make the contact, and be our go-between. It will be easy and natural."

"Billy, easy isn't the word I'd use with Amanda—no matter what, things always end up coming out differently than planned." Lee was less than thrilled at this aspect of the plan.

"And that's why the three of us will be there to back her up. We'll arrive the day before she does, to finalize the arrangements, and set everything up. All she will have to do is make contact, and talk to the man—relay our arrangements, and get whatever information he has. It will be a textbook operation."

"What about her family? Will they be in the way?" Francine asked.

"She should be able to get away on her own a couple times. It won't take long for her to make the contacts. And we can have one of our local people watching out for them, just to make sure they are safe while Amanda's on assignment. They'll be staying at the Hilton, where we already have several people stationed, so it won't be any extra trouble."

"What about school? Will the boys be able to miss classes?" Lee was trying to counter any argument Amanda might have.

"We have arranged with their schools so they will be able to miss the days and use it as an educational experience. There should be no trouble from that quarter." Billy smiled at his planning—he had daughters so he understood about such things. He was surprised that Lee had thought of it. Apparently he was more understanding of Amanda's family situation than he had been in the past. But he had gone all out to get the Captain Galaxy for Jamie last spring—so he was becoming more sensitive to her family.

"Children—just so they will stay out of our operation." Francine sounded unhappy at the prospect.

"They should—all we need is for Amanda to contact Kemp three or four times—nothing more. He'll keep to the tourist areas, so it should be no problem." Billy smiled at his plan. "Since we're all up to speed—that's all. We'll leave the morning before Amanda and her family—and that's in two weeks. We'll keep contact with Kemp in the meantime—but he hasn't planned any further contacts between now and then—so we'll get back to business as usual and leave for Munich to wrap up this operation. This is a big one—Kemp has been tied into the Euro-terror groups for over fifteen years, and what he knows will help us break up some of those groups."


	12. Chapter 12

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 12

Double Agent October 15, 1984

Billy threw down a couple more antacids and chewed stoically. Well, so much for the hope that Operation Sandstorm had been safely forgotten. If that book was published, it was the end of his field unit, and possibly a good portion of the Agency. Everyone who had been named in the book would have to be given new identities and relocated, from Billy on down. That would be a major blow to the counterintelligence community, and it would take years to rebuild after such a major disruption. Some of the people would take it pragmatically. Francine would probably be happy to be relocated to New York, Chicago or LA. Lee Stetson would be a great agent anywhere he was posted. Or would he be as great without his partner? Mrs. King and her family would have to be placed in witness protection and relocated, and she would have to sever all ties to the Agency. Civilian auxiliaries didn't get special treatment in these situations. She probably wouldn't even get to choose where they went.

This sort of thing was what made Billy's job difficult. Supposedly they all understood the risks, but when actually faced with being given new identities and relocated, most people were less than enthusiastic.

He sighed and sent up a short prayer, that something—anything—would happen to make that book go away.

After Double Agent October 15, 1984

At his desk, reviewing up the case file, Billy was glad the book had been destroyed. They had managed to recover a few partial pages, but even after a thorough search, that's all that had turned up once the fire had been extinguished. It was certainly best that way. If it did still exist—even in some vault—there was always the chance it could get out, and the whole problem would just start all over again.

And Mrs. King and her family were still living in Arlington—so that little nightmare never came about. This was why it was best to just go with the facts—act on what was real—and not play 'what if'. Certainly contingency plans had to be made in situations like this—but more often than not—those plans never came to fruition. He smiled—the whole unit was safe and sound—or as safe and sound as they could be in the never ceasing war against the enemies of the US. And they would continue to do their jobs. So Billy chalked up another good day. And as long as the good days outnumbered the bad ones—he would keep coming in and doing the job.

Before The Legend of Das Geisterschloss October 22, 1984

Billy was in his office when the phone rang. "Melrose."

It was Scarecrow. "Billy, I need you to get Amanda over here to Salzburg right away."

"What's going on, have you made contact with Emily Farnsworth yet?"

"No. She's missed her last three check-ins, she hasn't been seen since noontime yesterday, and she left a phone message at her hotel to hold her luggage—she told them she's gone on to Vienna."

"But she sent for you—to meet her in Salzburg."

"Yeah—she told the hotel to hold her things for her niece from America—Amanda King."

"I see. I guess I'll call Mrs. King and have her leave on the next available flight. You think Amanda can help find her?"

"Billy, Emily wouldn't have mentioned Amanda unless something she knows will help find Emily. They spent that time together last summer sightseeing. That has to have something to do with it."

"But Mrs. King doesn't know Emily Farnsworth is MI-6. She thinks the woman is the wife of a British diplomat."

"But Emily knows Amanda is Agency—and that is why she asked for her. She thinks Amanda can help me find her—I'm sure of it. Please Billy—I need Amanda here—Emily needs her here. We need to find her—the next round of talks starts in three days. We need to plug that leak before then."

"All right, I'll contact Mrs. King, and let you know when her flight will arrive. I'll be in touch. Melrose out."

Billy hung up the phone, and then sat back in thought. 'I guess Amanda made quite an impression on Emily Farnsworth if she's asking for her help on this case. Somehow Amanda will have the knowledge to crack the case—something Amanda knows that Scarecrow doesn't.'

He smiled and shook his head. "Amanda is certainly a remarkable woman, and it seems Mrs. Farnsworth recognizes that, too. And now it also seems that Scarecrow is beginning to appreciate his partner's skills as well. He sounded a bit desperate. Still, Emily is one of the few friends in the business Scarecrow has. She mentored him in his early days, and somehow they made a strong connection. I know they keep in touch—they even manage to visit now and again whenever either is in the neighborhood. So I'll send Amanda to Salzburg and hopefully she and Lee can crack the case. Hell, with the three of them on it—they can't fail!'

Charity Begins at Home October 29, 1984

Amanda had come out to the stables to talk to Billy. She was concerned that Lee had been gone a long time. Billy talked to her, and urged her to get back and cover the bar. Amanda was worried about Lee's safety and she tried to communicate that to her boss.

Billy was reassuring. "I understand you all the time, Amanda. It bothers me…a little. But I do understand."

"Yes sir, thank you sir." Amanda left.

Billy watched her make her way back to the bar. 'I do understand you, Amanda. More than you realize. You're worried Lee has gotten into trouble, and you want to go check on him. But your place is at the bar—to cover for your partner. Scarecrow is resourceful—the man can take care of himself.'

He settled back to watching the event from afar. 'Carling London is dead. Someone killed him—probably to stop him from bidding on whatever Jerry Perrine has up for sale. I hope Scarecrow can find out what it is. It would be great if we could nail Perrine—the man has flaunted his dealings for years. He buys and sells shady merchandise right under our noses—all at his 'invitation only' events—and we're powerless to stop him. Until now. Once again, Mrs. King's suburban life has given us an in to a place where we haven't been able to go before now. Seeing her at the gate yesterday was certainly a stroke of luck. I'm amazed she manages to work with us part-time and yet she still has time for her PTA, and bake sales and these charity events. She manages to make the most of her time—and raise her sons and maintain a home for herself and her family. I wonder if the woman ever gets any time for herself. Still, it's to our advantage that she manages to fit it all in.'

As Billy watched the proceedings, he mused further. 'I wonder…if she was to become a full-time agent—she probably wouldn't have time for those extra activities. Not with the irregular hours and sudden out-of-town assignments every field agent deals with. Would she be able to take care of her boys as well as she does now? Her mother is a big help there. And the boys are growing up—they should be able to manage on their own for longer periods of time. Still—teenagers need more attention—even though they sometimes resent a caring parent.' He sighed. 'She has a few more years before she has to jump that hurdle. Still—she's a whiz at most everything else, dealing with two teenage boys should be a piece of cake for her.'


	13. Chapter 13

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 13

After Brunettes Are In November 12, 1984  
Again, Billy sat reviewing case files at his desk. He sighed. Mrs. King's latest mid-level courier assignment certainly took a turn that nobody expected. A vital microdot stolen by a thief, fronting for a slavery ring. Slavers! In this day and age!

But it all turned out well, they recovered the microdot in time, saved Tripod and broke up the slavery ring. Her other assignments had gone better. Billy chuckled as he remembered Scotland Yard's assessment of her interview of Connie Barnhill. Yes indeed, Amanda had a style all her own.

Billy briefly wondered why Amanda would have mailed him a resignation—but as he had never officially received it—it wasn't his business. He figured Lee and Amanda had had another of their legendary arguments—and she had gotten fed up with him once and for all—but then she thought better of it. He was surprised she hadn't tried something like that before this. Or at least requested she not work with Scarecrow anymore. Lee was more considerate of his partner lately, but he still could be rough on her when he was upset. The man had to learn to deal with people! And hopefully some of Amanda's people skills were rubbing off on her partner. Only time would tell.

And then there was Operation Sandstorm. That wasn't really Amanda's fault. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, nothing was blown, so it ended well.

It was perfectly natural that as she branched out into more active assignments on her own that she would make a few mistakes. Maybe it was time to see if she could move up. Station One was scheduled for a class in a few weeks—he could let Amanda go through the class and assign Scarecrow to be the ringer.

Billy knew better than to put Amanda in the class without letting Scarecrow be there as well. His protective moves toward her were generating gossip. Ever since her date with David Benson, the mole, it was commonly known among the male population of the Agency that Mrs. King was off-limits. Ignore that warning and face Scarecrow's wrath. Rumor had only a couple guys roughed up and threatened—no bloodshed or fistfights. But only because the other guys had backed down. Rumor also had it that Mrs. King didn't know about Scarecrow's warnings. God help him if she ever did find out. Still, Scarecrow was actually suggesting he work with his partner. He chose her to work with him on the Internal that caught Nightlight—David Benson. He suggested she help at the Cumberland after Francine ended up with a toothache. And Emily Farnsworth certainly was complimentary of her abilities. Emily had requested Amanda's help and without Amanda's insight those defense talks would have been thoroughly compromised.

And Mrs. King was the key in the Jerry Perrine case. She got Scarecrow into the charity event when the Agency, with all its resources, had struck out. Yes, Amanda King was definitely an asset for Billy Melrose's unit and the Agency in general. And add to that as Scarecrow's partner she helped keep him in line and on track. And they still had an impressive solve rate. Now if Scarecrow could just lay off and let her have a personal life...

They still argued and disagreed. But they were also working together more as a team. And the betting pool on her telling him to go to hell and refusing to work with him anymore had largely died out. Billy briefly wondered where the money had gone, but officially he didn't know about the pool in the first place, so it probably didn't matter.

Yes, definitely. He put Amanda King's name down for Station One and assigned Scarecrow as the ringer. He and Francine would be assisting so it would be a good way for him to observe Mrs. King in the field, as it were.

Before Our Man in Tegernsee November 19, 1984

Early Thursday afternoon, Billy was with Amanda in his office. He was going over her latest courier assignment again before she left for the airport. "Now Mrs. King, all you need to do is carry these documents to our contact in Munich. Establish contact with the code phrase, wait for the response, give the counter response, and then hand them over. After that, you will be free to do a bit of sightseeing before you catch your plane back home."

"'The trains usually run on time', is my code phrase, he'll answer with 'but weather can cause delays', and I reply with 'unless the tracks have been cleared beforehand.'" She smiled at her successful repetition of the phrases.

"That's right. Now you have your passport and plane ticket?"

"Yes, everything is right here." She held up her carry-on bag.

"Good. Here are the documents—put the envelope in the side pocket. That way it will be accessible when you hand them over."

"Sir, I just want you to know that I appreciate your confidence in me. I won't let you down. I'll get these documents to our man in Munich."

"I know you'll do fine, Amanda. Should anything go wrong, don't hesitate to call here. But you'll do fine."

4:42am Friday Morning  
Lee was rudely awakened by the phone. "Hello?"

"Scarecrow—I need you go get in here right away."

"Awww Billy—I'm on vacation. I took a long weekend—I'm going to the Poconos with Gillian..."

"Cancel your plans. You're booked on an early flight to Munich."

"Munich? Why the hell would I go to Munich?"

"It seems one of our couriers was arrested for counterfeiting, and I need you to go over there and straighten it out."

"Why me? You have lots of other people you can call in for something like this."

"I need you because you're familiar with this courier, and I think your expertise will be needed to get her out of this mess."

"Her? Oh no, Billy, it can't be Amanda..."

"Yes it can. It seems she made the delivery fine, but while she was shopping for gifts for her family, she passed a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. The shopkeeper spotted it and she was arrested shortly thereafter. She called me from the police station, and now I'm sending you over there to straighten this mess out. After you come in here and we talk about it."

"What do we have to talk about?"

"I want to talk to you about this little mishap. So come in here, and you can take the first flight out to Munich."

"Great Billy, but I want my vacation day back. Not that Gillian will ever want to see me again..."

"So find someone else to take to the Poconos. Now get your butt in here. You don't have a lot of time before your plane leaves."

After Our Man in Tegernsee November 19, 1984

Billy was finishing up the report on the Hollinger case. He felt a bit guilty. He had chewed Scarecrow out when Amanda had been arrested for counterfeiting. It wasn't Lee's fault—it wasn't even Amanda's fault. But Billy had been pushing Amanda to take more courier assignments, and unfortunately her track record there was not stellar. He sighed heavily, and sat back in his chair.

'I guess I'm expecting she'll be as good solo as she is with her partner. And she doesn't have the training to support that. She does as well as some of our other couriers, so I should be pleased. Still, I'm setting higher standards for her. When she's partnered with Scarecrow—they manage to solve the case most every time. And they thrive in their partnership.'

'But Amanda has a knack for finding trouble. Scarecrow's right about that—but I'll never admit it to him. So when she is out on a courier assignment, if anything can go wrong—it probably will. Maybe I should cut back on using her for those. Just keep her in the field with her partner, and try to slip in as much training for her as I can. But the courier assignments are training, as well. I just don't know if my stomach can stand many more of these complications.' Billy downed a couple antacids and chewed thoughtfully.

'I'll wait, and see how this falls out. She's at the bottom of the courier roster right now—so it will be a while before her name comes up again. Time will give me a better perspective on this.' He sat forward and finished his task, secure in the knowledge that he would be able to make a better decision once he had distanced himself a bit.


	14. Chapter 14

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 14

After Affair at Bromfield Hall November 26, 1984

Billy had the copies of the London Gazette before him. There, in color, was Amanda King, in the arms of Lord Ralph Bromfield on the front page. It could have been worse—Scarecrow had managed to pull some strings and pressure a few contacts into making sure the story didn't get to the US. So Billy didn't have to worry about repercussions back home. And she had made the papers not once, but twice! He shook his head.

'How does she do it? She's sightseeing and she ends up in a sex scandal with a Lord on the security committee.' He shook his head. 'Fortunately, they managed to salvage the case—and the scandal even played into the resolution of the case and discovery of the traitor and the leak for the North Sea strategic defense plans. But pictures like this can have a life well past their immediate play. Hopefully the story will die, and there will be no nasty surprises down the road. Agents are especially careful about appearing in the media—especially newspapers that can have a life well past their publication date. With Mrs. King's luck, this may come back to haunt her in a way none of us ever suspected. Hopefully that day will never come.'

Billy carefully folded the clippings, and placed them in Amanda's file. They would have to stay there, in case they became important in the future. But they managed to crack the case, and expose the traitor, so it was another job well done, newspaper scandals notwithstanding.

After A Class Act December 7, 1984

Billy was finishing up his report on the repeat class at Station One. Nobody went on for further training – a total washout. Of course, having a mole among the recruits for the first class didn't help, and catching that mole helped pinpoint holes in their pre-screening procedures. So next time, hopefully, there would be no moles.

Several candidates nearly passed—Mrs. King was among them. Billy was disappointed she didn't pass outright. But she eventually identified the mole in the first class and helped capture her. Imagine! Amanda King going one-on-one with a fully trained KGB operative—and coming out on top with nary a scratch on her. Chalk up another success for Scarecrow and his partner. Amazing!

Now, Billy's concern was to get Mrs. King more training somehow. Station One wasn't scheduled again for several months. But Mrs. King was out in the field with her partner and she needed some additional training. Granted, she was learning a lot from Scarecrow, but she needed the basic freshman agent courses that would make her a more well-rounded agent. And if she was full-time she would get a better salary—not to mention that her position at the Agency and in Billy's unit would be more secure. Civilian Auxiliaries were always the first positions to go in a budget cut. And Amanda was already functioning as a field agent anyhow. Plus she would get a higher security clearance, which would mean she wouldn't be as reliant on Scarecrow or Francine for access to higher level files.

Billy wanted to do all he could to keep Mrs. King working for the Agency in his field unit. She complimented Scarecrow so well, and they were an effective team. So it was best to keep them together. And while Billy tried to keep the two of them reasonably happy and comfortable with each other, bureaucracy had its own pitfalls that could result in Mrs. King's termination from the Agency, through no fault of her own. So Billy had to do all he could to keep Mrs. King in his unit. He needed his best team working together.

After Playing Possum December 15, 1984

Billy was finishing up his report on the Krushchenko case. He finally had a chance to observe Scarecrow and Mrs. King in the field along with Yuri Valov. What a strange group they all made.

But they got the nuclear device defused in time, and that's what counted. Nobody had even gotten anywhere near a dangerous dose of radiation—which was a miracle considering Krushchenko wasn't big on safety. 'How she knew to pull the blue wire, I'll never know. Scarecrow said he would have pulled the red one, so it's very good she was there.'

'How many people would willingly stay in a city with an armed nuclear device when they could be safe with their family? That's loyalty and patriotism. With Savior she stayed, and helped Lee neutralize the bomb, but she didn't really know it was armed and ready to go off. This time, she knew—she even got her family out of town—but she stayed. You can't buy that sort of dedication.'

Billy thought again how lucky they all were that Scarecrow had handed that package to her at the train station. Scarecrow picked her out, Billy had encouraged the partnership, but in the end it was Amanda who chose to stay involved and do the work.

Interestingly, in the field Scarecrow listened to Amanda and they worked together quite smoothly. Very different from their interactions in the office. The betting pool now focused on which of them would win their arguments. Usually it was Amanda.

But they got results and Scarecrow admitted that Amanda's instincts and hunches were helpful. So he was beginning to appreciate her skills. Good.

The Three Faces of Emily December 31, 1984

Billy read Emily Farnsworth's report on the Falconwing operation. She certainly had high praise for Mrs. King. And why not? Once again, she had managed to come through. If she hadn't allowed the use of her house, the operation would have been busted before it could get going. Billy had filled out a requisition order to re-paint the King dining room. In their excitement, Scarecrow had neglected to alert the team to restore her house back to order, and subsequently Amanda ended up with a grey dining room. So Billy had promised to arrange for it to be re-painted, which was something he was happy to accommodate. 'The least we owe her is a dining room of a decent color.' He thought.

Billy was a bit unhappy—they had overlooked the possibility of Whitsett using a mule—and having already chosen Amanda for the job. He shook his head. 'It figures he'd already chosen Amanda and made the contact with the two soldiers. She certainly has some sort of luck. Scarecrow is right, only Amanda could turn getting arrested for counterfeiting into stopping a major Nazi resurgence and unmask a traitor in the Agency as well. And we're lucky we had already planned the operation with Whitsett—otherwise Amanda would have been caught up in his scheme without Agency backup.'

It had all worked out in the end. Hopefully Amanda's house would not be needed for any more secret operations in the future. But she got compensation for that—over and above her usual pay—so that should take some of the sting out of it for her. Yes, Amanda was a great asset for Billy, the Agency and also MI6. She was rapidly gaining a good international reputation among the intelligence communities in the west. Britain, Germany and also Austria, had praised her efforts. That was good, because every good report just added ammunition for Billy to try to get Mrs. King hired on as an agent trainee. Hopefully it would come through soon.


	15. Chapter 15

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 15

Ship of Spies January 7, 1985

Billy sat at his desk and thought back to his conversation with Scarecrow earlier in the day. Lee had argued persuasively to be allowed to go and check on Orlando Gravis—Lee's contact in the Caribbean. The man was an old contact of Lee's and apparently a friend as well. Billy hadn't realized how deeply Lee's loyalty went to some of his informants. Some—like Augie Swann—were strictly business contacts. But some—like TP Aquinas and also Orlando—were friends as well. And Scarecrow was fiercely loyal to his friends, few though they were. He had been somewhat frantic when Emily Farnsworth had disappeared last fall, and now he was willing to pursue Orlando's lead—on his own time no less. Billy had reluctantly authorized Lee's involvement—which made it an Agency operation.

All this loyalty—"He saved my life, Billy." Lee had said—probably stemmed from his tour in country in 'Nam. That had been a particularly ugly war—even worse than Korea—which wasn't a war at all but rather a 'police action'. Billy snorted—he had been there, and he knew a war when he was hip deep in the muck of it. But Vietnam was worse—not only was it difficult to tell friend from foe once you were on the ground—but the popular mood back home had been violently anti-war and that mood had included the servicemen who fought over there as well. Billy's return to the states had been greeted with relief and thanks for a safe return. Lee's generation had been reviled and spat upon. Lee certainly still had some issues from that tour—but as he managed to have a successful career, and a semi-normal life outside the Agency—Billy never made a point of insisting he work things out. But every now-and-again, that survivor's guilt and loyalty to old comrades-in-arms reasserted itself and made Billy all too aware of that particular landmine in Lee's past. But it wasn't a major issue, so Billy would let it slide. Besides, maybe Orlando had actually come up with something. He had tipped the Agency off about Grenada.

Lee was booked on a honeymoon cruise, and rather than use Francine—who would have been more than willing to accompany him—he chose to use his partner—Amanda King. Apart from Francine's pique at being snubbed, Billy was greatly pleased that Lee was actively seeking out ways to include his partner on his missions. Also, it would save the Agency money—because as a civilian auxiliary, Mrs. King cost less to use than Francine or another agent would. And Billy was only one agent down, rather than two. So once again, Mrs. King's 'special' status was an asset.

Ship of Spies January 7, 1985

"Melrose Here." Billy answered his phone.

"Hi Billy." It was Scarecrow. "We found the money—the revolutionaries were being funded in gold—Orlando and Emiliano helped us catch the bad guys. We got the gold, stopped the funding and are coming back to the US."

"That's great—I guess Orlando came through for us again."

"Yeah—his tip was solid. Ah, Billy there's one more thing…"

"Yes?" Billy was curious to find out what it might be, based on the hesitant tone in his agent's voice.

"Amanda and I … we had to … well, we had to go through with it. We had to get married." Lee sounded a bit desperate as he related this information.

Billy stifled a guffaw and answered calmly. "I see. Do we need to prepare an annulment?"

"I don't think so—but I need legal to check it out. I used a fake name: I falsified all my information for the marriage license. I'm hoping that makes the marriage invalid." He sounded desperately hopeful as he related his actions.

Billy nodded. "That was quick thinking—and probably for the best. Just in case, I'll run it by legal and we should have an opinion ready for you once you return."

"Thanks Billy." He sounded relieved.

"How is Amanda?"

"She's fine—a few bumps and bruises—the dress is somewhat the worse for wear—but she's OK."

Billy was intrigued—what dress? He looked forward to reading the reports. "That's good. Secure the prisoners, and get yourselves back here. Hopefully we can wrap this up by the end of the day."

"Will do. See you, Billy."

"Melrose out."

After Billy hung up the phone—he had a good laugh at Lee's expense. 'So he and Amanda had to get married. Serves the man right. I bet he was sweating bullets the entire time. Still—it took courage on his part. He'd probably rather have gotten shot than gotten married. I wonder if I should tell him the marriage is valid, and that it will take time to secure the annulment?' Billy briefly contemplated a married Scarecrow.

Then he shook his head. 'Though it might be fun—it wouldn't be fair to Amanda. She takes marriage very seriously. It's a tribute to her dedication to the job—and her partner—that she went through with it. I guess she bought a wedding dress for the occasion since she couldn't have had time to get one before the cruise. I have to admit—that was good thinking falsifying his information. I guess he really didn't want to be married. Or maybe married to Amanda. That's a little too much for Scarecrow—she's marriage material for sure and he's not. Maybe someday he'll tone down the lifestyle and actually settle down. What am I saying?—when pigs fly. Still, if anyone could change him—it would be Amanda. She has the patience and understanding to be able to do it. Only time will tell, I guess'

Spiderweb January 14, 1985

After the second botched defection, and after Billy had talked to Mitch Larner, and subsequently ordered Lee to search Mrs. King's house, he sat at his desk and thought about Spiderweb.

'I've suspected everyone on this, and I DID consider Amanda King. But she just isn't our double agent. I've staked my career more than once on my ability to read people—and I know down to my bones that Amanda King is no double agent. No double agent would risk getting blown up by a nuclear bomb when she could get away safely with her family.'

'Of course, somebody doesn't know about all that. Someone is pulling a classic smear campaign on her. I was wondering, but then that coded radio transmission came from her neighborhood the day after she bought electronic components at a hobby store—that was when I knew it was a frame job. It became pretty obvious. We never had any coded transmissions from that area before. And immediately after Francine tells Mitch Larner she bought electronic components that coded transmission comes from her neighborhood.'

'Hopefully Scarecrow will search her home and come up empty—or even better talk to the woman about what is going on, and maybe we can get some answers. Amanda is sharp—and she might have some insights into this that we have overlooked. She's come up with useful ideas before—but I can't officially talk to her. So I send Scarecrow in and he talks to her—and then maybe we can salvage this operation. General Kuragin is the biggest of our three defectors and we need him to come to us safe and sound. Not only have we lost two potential valuable informants—but if we can't finish this operation successfully—no other defectors will want to trust us ever again. Our reputation within the intelligence community depends on breaking this case, and safely bringing General Kuragin in. So I'll let Scarecrow deal with his partner—and maybe then we can get somewhere and get General Kuragin in and start the debriefing.'

After Spiderweb January 14, 1985

Billy Melrose finished up his report on Margaret Brock. That woman had caused massive damage over the years and they had all missed it. Except Mrs. King. It would take an internal team months to sift through all the cases that had passed through Margaret Brock's hands and evaluate what damage had been done. Still that was the nature of the business. In the end it was the moles in so called "subordinate" positions that caused the most lasting damage.

Mrs. King's personnel file had been reconstructed and Billy was re-running a background check to clear up her file. He owed it to her. She had been their only solid suspect. In his heart Billy knew Amanda King was not a double agent. Her conduct during the Krushchenko case, staying behind to help find and disarm a live, active nuclear device—no mole would have done that. Some field agents would have tried to get away if they could. Fred Fielder and his crew ran when they discovered Savior was armed—and that was just a missile not a nuke. She was a civilian auxiliary, C-10 clearance. She hadn't even taken the Oath—but she was more reliable and dedicated than some of his senior agents.

Too bad she hadn't made it through Station One. She would—did—make one hell of a field agent. Billy wanted her full-time, but she had to qualify through the normal channels. Of course nothing about Amanda King's career at the Agency was normal. She had over a year of solid field experience. And she and Scarecrow still had an impressive solve rate. They were his best team.

A Little Sex, A Little Scandal February 4, 1985

Billy chewed his antacids and contemplated his expense budget. Granted, it was always better to have to pay for car repairs than death benefits, but this time Amanda King had exceeded herself. Her car had been tampered with in an attempt to kill her, accelerator jammed, brakes disabled, and she had crashed into a flower store, destroying it.

'I'll admit I was a bit harsh when I found out the extent of the damage. Maybe I can get her into some defensive driving classes. If she had just shut off the ignition…' He contemplated the vagaries of life with Amanda King.

'I think we've probably rebuilt that entire car at least twice over. It really isn't her fault. She just happened to see the murder of senator Hoffmeyer's aide. And now they're after her. But the Agency is stuck with her car repairs and—thanks to Scarecrow—rebuilding the flower shop.' He sighed and shook his head. 'Hopefully we can get to the bottom of all this. Of course, we didn't even have a case until Amanda witnessed that murder. She certainly has some talent for finding trouble… Now I'm sounding like Scarecrow. But I'm confident they can wrap this up, and things will be back to normal around here—whatever normal is.'


	16. Chapter 16

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 16

A Relative Situation February 11, 1985

Billy sat and thought about Lee after he left for Amanda's to pick up his uncle. 'This has to be hard for the man. His uncle, Colonel Clayton is facing a court martial for the death of those pilots. He's never gotten along with the man, but he's Lee's only living relative, and despite what he says—Scarecrow does care for his uncle.' Billy thought back to the details in Scarecrows personal file. Orphaned at 5, sent to live with his paternal grandmother (widowed) after that. When she died a couple years later, he was shipped off to live with his uncle—his father's half-brother—Captain Robert Clayton, USAF. They lived on Air Force bases all over the world, never more than two years in one place.

'Lee does respect the man as a military officer. And he understands him—a maverick in a profession that doesn't like change. But there's still that resentment left over from the years they spent together. Losing his parents was a big blow—and then his grandmother shortly after that. Then going to live with a man who never expected to be a parent. That must have been a shock for the Captain. It turned his life upside down. But, to his credit, he took Lee in, and raised him as best as he could. And it turned out all right. Lee is a fine man—a great agent—a real credit to his uncle. The man must be proud of him.'

'A maverick—that describes Scarecrow. He always wants to do things his way—breaks the rules when it suits him—can be argumentative to the point of insubordination—yet he gets the job done. And look at who he's partnered with! If any partnership is unconventional—it's that one. Lee and the Colonel are two of a kind. But I'd better not tell either of them that—they'd not like it at all.'

After Life of the Party February 18, 1985

Billy read Francine's case report on the Burling Brothers' case.

"Mrs. King displayed unusual courage and resourcefulness in following Scarecrow to Frankie Columbo's packing plant, and in helping rescue the kidnapped agents."

He shook his head—Francine praising Amanda's actions—amazing. Well, she was an amazing woman. And they were lucky she had the guts to bluff her way into Columbo's good graces. Once again, her suburban domestic skills had come in handy. She was certainly an asset. Billy chuckled as he recalled how she had related that Francine had offered her twenty dollars to clean the bathroom for her. It wasn't in Amanda's report—but it did make for a good story. And Billy had made sure he was watching when Lee presented Francine with her 'souvenir' of the case. Everyone—except Francine—had gotten a good laugh out of that one.

Yes, the Agency was a better place with Amanda King around. Billy hoped she was around for many years to come.

After Odds On a Dead Pigeon February 25, 1985

Billy was wrapping up the files on the two agents that Karen Brinkman had murdered. Cradle and Trelogen were nice guys—but apparently they also had eyes for Mrs. King. Billy thought Scarecrow's protectiveness and threats had made any problems between her and any other man at the Agency impossible. But it seemed that even the wrath of Scarecrow wasn't enough to deter some of the males from taking a chance with her, if they got it.

'How could those two have misjudged her so badly? Amanda King isn't the type to go in for casual lunchtime affairs. But men don't always use their brains when a beautiful woman shows interest and suggests a daytime tryst. So Karen managed to lure both men to their deaths. As Amanda. Hopefully she'll not realize what that means for her. She's still an innocent in so many ways. She would never think of using her sexuality like that. But if she did...' Billy mused over the thought of Amanda as a femme fatale—it wasn't hard. She had the looks. 'But so much of Amanda's charm is her sweetness. And doing something like that just isn't in her character. Still, she wouldn't be the first agent to end up doing something that clashed with their personal morality...'

'I guess we're lucky she's still just a civilian auxiliary. Because most women in this business end up playing that role sooner or later. And she'd not like it—but if duty demanded it...' Billy thought Amanda would give it the old college try. 'So all-in-all maybe it was for the best that she flunked out of Station One. I like her as she is—not cynical and hard like Francine.'

Car Wars March 11, 1985

"Come." Billy replied to the knock on his office door.

"Melrose, I'm here to talk to you and your unit about fiscal responsibility." Mr. LaRue from Internal Finances announced as he entered and made himself comfortable in front of Billy's desk.

Billy laid down the papers he had been reading and sat back to hear LaRue's rant. It was always a rant—the man knew no other way of making his point. "I'm listening." He replied simply.

"I have been going over the expense reports generated by your field unit." He held up a sheaf of papers and waved them at Billy. "Some of these expenses are just ridiculous. For example—why are we repairing the same station wagon over and over? Why doesn't this—" he checked the sheet, "civilian auxiliary, take more care in her driving?"

"Mrs. King is a careful driver. I can't help it that she keeps getting into situations where her car is damaged. I figure it's better than her getting killed."

"Death benefits pay out only once. This car has been repaired—at the Agency's expense—no fewer than 17 times. We could have bought a new car for what those repairs have cost over the past 18 months."

"What else do you have?" Billy didn't want to go any further into Amanda King's car repairs.

"Why is your unit paying regularly for evening gowns and designer clothing? Mostly for one operative—Francine Desmond."

"Ms. Desmond wears those gowns at official functions as an Agency operative—she works security details and also information is passed at those functions. She has to dress the part so she doesn't look out-of-place."

"Can't she wear a gown more than once? It seems she buys a new gown every time she's on one of these details."

"What else do you have?" Billy was fast becoming weary. This was a ritual—every year LaRue came up and demanded they cut expenses, and every year they made the effort. It was part of the endless workings of bureaucracy. His unit was supposed to do their jobs—and there were certain expenses that came from doing the work. LaRue's job was to keep track of accounts, and try to keep spending down. And subsequently he visited every unit in the Agency by turn, and admonished them all about unnecessary costs and fiscal responsibility. Billy imagined the man under torture—his mantra would probably be 'fiscal responsibility and cost cutting'.

"Last month I received a bill for $532, for a suite at the Carlton-Ritz for one week. What were your people doing at the Carlton-Ritz? Couldn't they have chosen a less expensive hotel?"

"They had no choice—we were conducting surveillance on a man suspected of having dealings with known arms brokers. He was staying at the Carlton-Ritz—so staking out a cheaper hotel wouldn't have gotten us any useful intelligence." Billy knew his snide answer wouldn't help, but he was exasperated. What did the man think they did? Party?

LaRue chose to ignore the jibe. "And did you get any useful intelligence?"

"Nothing big—but we got several promising leads which we are following up on."

"So that money was wasted, then." He looked disgusted.

"Look, LaRue—we can't predict beforehand the results of any one surveillance operation. All we can do is to do our jobs, go where the leads take us, and hope we get something useful."

"I see." LaRue looked like he planned on pursuing the matter, but then he put the papers away. "It's obvious that going through any more examples will be futile. So I'll get straight to the point. I have authorization from the Director that this time—you people will have to take my warnings seriously. First—there will be a 60-day item-by-item audit of all field agent's expense accounts. Everything will be scrutinized and questioned."

Billy nodded—this was nothing new.

"Second—if there are discrepancies or questionable claims—we will determine whether the claim will be allowed, and if necessary, make paycheck adjustments."

Billy nodded again. This was also old hat.

"Third—if we determine there has been abuse of the expense reimbursement process, I am authorized to issue reprimands and fines to those responsible."

Billy nodded—this was something new, but he wasn't going to let the man know he was unhappy about it.

"And finally—I am authorized to make you personally responsible for all the discrepancies and abuses, so the possibility of a fine and reprimand will extend to you as well."

Billy sat still. This was going way too far. What did the man think? That he conspired to help his agents abuse the system? It was difficult enough to get proper reimbursements as it was. And he did review and authorize the expenses submitted. He had to sign off on all the requisitions, and he read and often denied requests. This was one reason Billy contemplated early retirement. Paperwork was a necessary part of being a section chief—but this make-work witch-hunt was going too far.

"LaRue—we are short handed as it is. Now—in addition to doing our regular jobs—are you telling me we all have to spend more time working on expenses? Will you authorize the overtime necessary to get all that done? Or are we expected to cut down on our regular duties so we can get this audit done?"

"I cannot authorize overtime to get this necessary fiscal cleanup done. I daresay if your people spent more time knuckling down and working and less time hanging around the water cooler or pursuing their endless conquests they would have ample time to do their jobs AND get their expenses in order. And I'll thank you to keep your hotshot agents away from my clerical staff. They have enough to do without fending off their unwanted advances."

Billy briefly contemplated pulling his service revolver and shooting the man between the eyes. As satisfying as the thought was—he also realized it would be a useless gesture. LaRue would be dead—but the bureaucracy would just send another soulless, humorless, tight-assed lackey—and the dance would start all over again. He sighed. 'This too shall pass. Maybe if I just let him address the unit and then make an effort, something will come up, and we'll be back to normal. The man has to justify his job, and this is how he does it.' Billy chose to be accommodating and mollifying. He could always shoot the man later. In a dark alley. "OK LaRue—I hear you. Come on—you can address the unit yourself and lay your ultimatums on them."

"And I can expect your full endorsement and cooperation." It was a statement—not a question.

"I will work to keep all expenses down as much as possible. But my agents still have to be able to do their jobs as well."

"Just so they keep the extra spending to an absolute minimum."

"We'll certainly try to do just that." Billy knew better than to promise—but the man needed his pound of flesh—or he would be back week after week until he felt his demands were being properly heeded. Billy stood and moved to the door. "No time like the present."


	17. Chapter 17

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 17

D.O.A. Delirious on Arrival March 18, 1985

Billy reviewed the medical report on Mrs. King. No apparent long-term effects or permanent damage from the poison Hans Retzig had put in Lee's sandwich. That was good.

Billy was immensely pleased they had nabbed Hans Retzig. That man had been a thorn in their side for way too long. It wasn't his skill and successes that were so galling but his damnable arrogance in flaunting his exploits right under their noses time after time… The man was in secure custody, and going away for a long time. Forever, if Billy had his way.

Amanda had gotten in the way again—and ingested the poison meant for her partner, Scarecrow. In a way—it was good because it left Lee at full capability to find Retzig. But it was bad because his guilt once again became an issue in a case. That sandwich had been meant for Lee himself—and only because of a fluke had Amanda eaten it instead.

Billy thought about the manifestations of the drug Amanda had displayed while under its influence. Goofy golf he could understand—though how she managed to take out a water cooler with just a putter! That was some sort of slice! Her authoritative manner when she called him was another thing entirely. Usually she was pleasant and effacing when dealing with him—but that take-charge persona was something of a surprise. He knew she had it in her—and he was secretly pleased to see she could be tough and aggressive when she felt it was necessary. Of course—it was because of the drug's influence she had acted that way—but the drug couldn't manufacture behavior—just bring it to the surface. And if she didn't have it in her—she couldn't have acted that way.

So Amanda had the makings of a tough no-nonsense leader within her. If he could nurture that and allow her more autonomy now and again—maybe she would discover that part of herself and make use of it when the time was right. Bill smiled—even the bleakest occurrence could have a silver lining.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

March 26, 1995

Billy Melrose was at his desk doing paperwork when there was a knock at the door. "Come."

"Hey Billy, what's up?" Larry Crawford strolled into his office.

Billy looked up. "Have a seat, Crawford. We need to talk."

The man looked taken aback at the stern tone in his boss' voice. "Sure. Whatever you want. But I can't stay long. I have a meet with an informant in," he checked his watch, "45 minutes."

Billy sighed. Like he actually believed that. "Crawford, your work to date has been less than stellar. Hell, it's been barely adequate."

"What? I run the Q Bureau—I can't crank 'em out like your regular guys—I follow the weird leads and strange rumors. Sometimes they pan out—sometimes they don't."

"Lately you haven't had much of anything that panned out."

Crawford shrugged. "I can't make up cases. I go with what I have—or don't have."

"You say you haven't had any cases pan out—and yet you are putting in for informant cash—logging meets—you even conducted a stakeout last month."

"That was trying to get a line on a Bolivian drug and weapons smuggler. Can I help it that the guy had been murdered in Ecuador three days before? I only found out he was dead the day after I did my surveillance of the hotel he was supposed to be staying at."

"The Q Bureau was designed for an agent to be able to follow the weird cases, the strange rumors, the old stuff that just might pan out. You were placed there two years ago—and you did pretty well—up to the first of this year. Then your productivity dropped off a cliff." BiIly sounded exasperated.

"Like I said—I can't manufacture the stuff—I just follow what's out there."

"Yet when I have a situation that calls for extra agents—you're always unavailable. You don't even keep regular hours, so I never know when you'll be around."

"I run that office by myself—you said in the beginning—the hours might not be regular. Sometimes I have to stakeout a place overnight. Occasionally I have to go out of town. If I had a partner, you might be able to count on having someone in the office most of the time during regular business hours."

"The Q Bureau was designed to be run by one agent. You are free to get help from any of our support staff, and if you find something big—you can come to me for help or backup. You've always known that."

"Maybe I could have Francine help me part-time. She'd be a whiz at the administrative end of it." Crawford smiled suggestively.

"Francine Desmond is MY assistant. I need her down here—full time. And that's another thing—your office is a mess. Ragmop told me he can hardly clean in there anymore. You've got to keep up on the filing and paperwork. I'm still missing your expense sheets from last month—and I'm guessing your expense sheets for March will be late—as usual."

Crawford shook his head. "You can't have it both ways—first you complain because I'm not clearing cases—now you're complaining I'm not doing the scut work. I can do one or the other—but not both."

"You used to be able to handle all of it—you used to do a good job. What happened?"

"When you limited the steno pool to unit work, you said I'd have to do my own filing and paperwork. And I did it—for a while. But then it started building up—and I had that Bulgarian restaurant to investigate—that took up a lot of time—but I did link their ambassador to that disgruntled actuary at State. That was a big one for me—if you remember."

"Yes, and we're all grateful—you were able to stop the man before he managed to pass any sensitive information to the Bulgarians. But that was last fall. You closed that case well before Christmas. It's the end of March, man, and you've not done much of anything since."

"Like I said, I can't make up the work. Sometimes I get good leads, but I guess I've hit a dry spell lately." Crawford seemed to not be taking Billy seriously.

"Fine, I can understand that—but then take the time to finish the paperwork and filing. That place is getting to be a mess. What if you need to find something? Right now, I don't think you could."

"I have a system, Billy. I can find stuff just fine." Crawford was blasé.

Billy hated to do this sort of thing—but the man gave him no choice. "Be that as it may—I'm giving you an official warning. You're on probation. You have 6 months to clean up your act. Get that office in order. Do the paperwork and get your filing and expense sheets up to date. Find some cases to work—and work them—and then solve them. That actuary was good work—but that was darn near the only case you cleared last year. I'm short-handed as it is and I need every agent doing their best to clear cases. We need to keep the solve rate up in the unit, or I'll have admin. coming down here to find out why our productivity has dropped."

"So that's why I'm on probation—the brass have started crying again—and you're taking it out on me." Crawford sounded snide.

"I'm pointing out that your work is falling off—you aren't doing your job—and you're making more work for other people with your late paperwork and unavailability for outside assignments. You knew you'd have to help out with other cases now and again—but I haven't seen hide nor hair of you since you closed that actuary case. So be aware—you are on a six-month probation. I expect your work to improve—I expect you to keep more regular hours—or at lest keep me informed when and where you are working so I can get ahold of you. And we'll meet again in three months to review your progress. Do you understand?"

"Gee Billy—isn't that a bit harsh?"

"You've left me no alternative. I have tried to talk to you for almost two weeks now. This the first time I've seen you since I sent you word we needed to talk. That sort of behavior can't go on. Clean up that office—get your paperwork in on time—and start clearing a few cases—or would you rather come back to the field unit?"

"No—I'll stay up in the Q Bureau." He sighed heavily. "Fine—I'll call my informant and cancel the meet. He probably didn't have anything anyhow. I'll go up there and do the paperwork—the filing and expense reports. I'll even try to get my expense sheets for March in by the 2nd."

"Fine—if you can manage to clean up your act—this won't go into your permanent file. We'll keep it between us. All right?"

"Thanks Billy—I won't let you down. You can count on me." He stood and left Billy's office.

Billy sat and reviewed what had just been said. 'Talk is cheap, Crawford. I want to see results. You used to be a decent agent—but I think the Q Bureau has made you lazy. Some people can work fine without direct constant supervision. Then there are those who need someone watching over their shoulder, to remind them when they are getting slack. You, Crawford, have gotten slack and lazy.'

'This is the part of the job that's such a chore. Why should I have to ride herd on adults? Hopefully they realize they are here to do a job—and they'll do it. I have to put up with so much whining, and bellyaching from people who should know better. I don't make the work—we all know what we're here to do. Everyone has to take the grunt assignments now and again. Everyone has to do their paperwork—that's part and parcel of a bureaucracy—and the Agency is just another cog in the giant governmental bureaucracy that is the United Stated career civil service. Presidents may come and go—but the bureaucrats are here forever—at least until they can retire on their nice government pensions. Maybe one day, I can retire and put all this tedium behind me.'

He sighed and went back to work. 'But until that day—I have my share of paperwork to do—and it never stops.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

You Only Die Twice April 1, 1985

Billy sat at his desk, filling out the forms concerning Sylvia Sampson's death. She had been a friend. It was always tough losing a friend. And now hopefully they could close her case—whatever it was. He was of a mixed mind. He had been devastated when Amanda King's name came across on the hot sheet that morning. Scarecrow had been devastated, too.

Billy had dreaded being there at the morgue—being forced to identify Amanda's body. But that was part of his job, and he was not going to shirk his duties—even the unpleasant ones. He needed to be present with Scarecrow—because he was not at all sure how his best agent would react to seeing his partner's corpse. And when it turned out to be Sylvia and not Amanda lying there—he could easily forgive Lee for the joy he expressed at discovering Amanda was not dead.

But Billy's heart was heavy. Sylvia was a friend—and it was always tough to lose friends that way. But that was the nature of the business—and why you didn't cultivate too many close friendships on the job. Lee and Amanda were very close friends—maybe even more than friends—though certainly not lovers. That wasn't Amanda's style. Good thing, because partners weren't supposed to be 'involved.' But two people could be involved and not be lovers. And Lee Stetson and Amanda King were very involved with each other—they just had chosen to express it in a different way.

He wondered if he had made a mistake—pushing Amanda on Scarecrow—making him work with her. Well, that was water under the bridge. What was done, was done, and now he had to deal with the reality of their partnership. However it played out. And they had a fantastic solve rate—so the partnership was probably worth the potential pitfalls. And maybe they would stay lucky, and both would continue to survive and thrive—when others fell by the wayside. He could only hope.

Before Burn Out April 8, 1985

Billy and Lee were in Billy's office, with the blinds drawn.

"We need to get someone into this operation. Someone inside can find out a whole lot more than we have been able to in the past few years." Billy was outlining his plan.

"Yeah, I hear you. But to get someone inside, we need someone who was recruited...someone who's been demoted or fired. Someone who's burnt out."

"Exactly, Scarecrow. And you are a perfect candidate for the job."

"Me? How could I get fired? I'm no burnout, I'm doing a great job!"

"Yes, and that's why we need to build a case, over time. You need to hit the bars more, have a more active night life, come in late more often."

"I make it on time...mostly...more than I'm late, anyhow."

Billy gave Lee a 'tell that to someone who believes it' look, and pressed on. "Your lifestyle lends itself to a quick slide into burnout. And it will have to be a quick slide. I hope that a few weeks will be enough for you to totally screw things up for yourself. We can arrange for a few blown assignments—nothing vital—a few small things. And I'll keep you off any major assignments, though we won't let that out to the rest of the unit."

"Ah, Billy, there's one small problem with your plan... "

"Amanda."

"Yeah, Amanda. She's not gonna let me fail. And not telling her will be difficult..."

"It's imperative that everyone—including Mrs. King—believes this is real. So she must be kept in the dark."

"Yeah. Any chance we can send her away somewhere?"

"What about her family? She can't just leave on a solo vacation—and it's the middle of the school year, so she can't take her boys out of school. She's done that once already—her free trip to Munich last fall. The school won't go for that again so soon"

Lee nodded dejectedly. "Yeah, I hear you. Hitting the bars and staying out late on dates won't be difficult—but keeping Amanda King from trying to save me from myself—that's going to be the hard part. She's going to be all over me, trying to get me to clean up my act."

"I'll see if I can't loan her to another department for a week or two. Her clerical skills are strong, so she'd do well anywhere we place her. She'll be at the Agency, but maybe not being around the field unit will keep her at a reasonable distance. And I can keep her busy with paperwork here as well. You shouldn't have to come into close contact with her until the end, if we play this right."

"You don't know Amanda King if you think that will stop her once the rumors start flying. And we want lots of rumors on this, right? We want my burnout to become common knowledge here and outside the Agency as well."

"You're right. Do what you can, and I'll do my part to keep her away from you as long as I can manage it. Hopefully by the time she starts taking action, you'll be so far gone, that you'll be considered a lost cause."

"That won't stop Amanda."

"No, but it's not just Amanda we're trying to convince. It's whoever is running this organization."

Lee nodded. "All right. I'll start tonight. But you've got to keep Amanda away from me for a few days at least." Lee shook his head. "The things I do for my country..."

Billy smiled. "The country appreciates your sacrifice. Go on, I'll start arranging for those blown assignments. And have a long lunch—hopefully with lots of alcohol. That sort of thing always starts tongues wagging."


	18. Chapter 18

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 18

After Burn Out April 8, 1985

Billy returned to his desk after debriefing Scarecrow and Mrs. King following their return from the Mill Creek reservoir. Travis Wayne had been a great help, and Billy planned to get him a certificate of thanks for his help in nailing Brackin. He mused for a few minutes.

'This was a hard one for Amanda. She was obviously hurt by Lee's actions—yet she stuck by him and defended him to me—she even did as much of his work as she could manage to try to cover for him. I could see my remarks about Lee's 'downslide' hurt her as well.' He sighed. 'It's all part of the job—playing the game—playing the cover. Lee admitted she saw through his ruse after he followed her. I should have figured on that. She's so tuned in to the man. I wonder if he realizes it?'

Billy shuffled some papers as he thought some more. 'She really came through on this one. Allowing Lee to shoot her and then playing dead. That's a level of trust few partnerships ever achieve. She's closer to the man than I think anyone has ever been in his life. And all of that after he treated her so shabbily. He admitted he hit her, and I could see it's gnawing at him, big time. Scarecrow may be ruthless, and kill when necessary, but he also would never deliberately hurt a woman unless she was threatening someone he was protecting or cared about. The fact that he hit Amanda—even though he was playing his cover—that's something he won't ever forget—or possibly forgive himself for. She has already forgiven him—I know it.'

'Now will she forgive me?' He rubbed his tired eyes. 'She's still an innocent in so many ways—that's why it's so hard to put her through all this. Now, I'm feeling guilty. And I'm the one who gives the lectures about objectivity. Maybe I can get her a commendation for her actions. She certainly deserves at least that. And maybe it will help make it up to her. And, be honest with yourself Melrose, help assuage my guilt as well.'

After Murder Between Friends May 8, 1985

Billy sat at his desk reviewing the revised budget allocations for his field unit. Yes, a few dollars from here, a few from there and he and Lee managed to get Amanda King rehired with a nice raise. Billy was amazed at how Amanda managed on her previous salary. He didn't blame her for going to work for Byron Jordan's security firm. The Agency couldn't match that salary. But they sure had gotten creative in order to give her a nice raise.

When Lee was on his burn out assignment only Amanda wasn't willing to give up on him. That nearly got her killed, but once again she managed to be where she was needed and they solved the case. Again. Billy was glad he had pushed for her to get the commendation. It looked good in her file. Now if only Billy could get Mrs. King hired full-time as a field agent, he would be really happy.

Maybe he could slip in some training here and there. Leatherneck was a good teacher. Maybe a little lock-picking, a little shooting on the range. Amanda hated guns, but she really should have some of the basic skills.

Then there was the growing awareness in the intelligence community of her link with Scarecrow. A few weeks ago, Gordon Redding had used a double of Amanda to kill two agents and almost got Scarecrow and Amanda killed as well. Seeing Amanda's double lying dead had been quite a shock. But she was acknowledged as Scarecrow's partner, so she was a target as well as a way to get to Lee. She needed more training and Billy was going to see she got it—officially or otherwise.

Yuri Valov had used her to connect with Lee on the Krushchenko case; and Alan Squires—The Artful Dodger—also used Amanda to get to Scarecrow and the Agency. Yes, she needed to be able to spot those contacts. Because sooner or later she might be used as leverage to get Scarecrow to do something he shouldn't. Well, she had already—remembering the Rostov case—but that was an accident. The next time it could be deliberate and not end as well. So for everyone's sakes she needed agent training.

Scarecrow was certainly mentoring her, and she learned quickly. Scarecrow's protégé was one of the more polite phrases used in the gossip circles. Scarecrow's pet, Scarecrow's handler or Scarecrow's trainer were far less complimentary to the both of them.

But the rumors coming in from the other agencies and overseas were most telling. Scarecrow and his amazing partner—unbeatable—they always get the job done. Of course outside gossip always had Mrs. King as a full agent. If they only knew…

Well, Billy's job was to keep the unit running smoothly and all the agents—and civilian auxiliaries —happy, healthy and doing their jobs well. Which meant getting more formal training for Amanda King—however he could accomplish that. Maybe another try at Station One? This time without Scarecrow or a mole. Could he get her to audit some freshman agent training classes? Billy would have to sound Beaman out. But one way or another, Mrs. King would get more training.

Vigilante Mothers May 13, 1985

Billy sat at his desk, reviewing the strategy for recovering the C-12 canister. Once again Mrs. King's suburban life provided them with an instant in to a difficult case. And that meeting in his office…

"We could go to dinner. You don't have to move down the street." Was how Amanda had responded to Lee's query about renting a house in her neighborhood. What a gaffe! He knew she had feelings for the man—that was obvious to anyone who spent more than 10 minutes in their company. But now she saw that there was a possibility that he might have feelings for her. And he just dismissed her comment and responded he needed to get close to Dr. Leonard Fletcher. He didn't blow up—he didn't protest—he didn't even acknowledge her statement. He just replied with his real reason for moving in. That was more telling than her comment. He accepts her feelings, and he is comfortable with them. Good for you, Amanda! There may be hope there yet!

Billy thought back to the Connie Beth case—Scarecrow's and Mrs. King's first official case together. They had moved into the suburbs together that time, too. But then Lee had protested and railed and finally Billy had to make it an order—work with Mrs. King because one of them should be familiar with the suburbs and how life goes there. And they managed to find the smuggled weapons, close down the pipeline and find Betty Bodine's killer. Of course there had been arguments and snags—and Amanda had been apprehensive about the late nights alone with Scarecrow. But they worked it out by themselves, and they had stayed partnered ever since.

This time, the idea to move into the suburbs was Lee's alone. He knew lived a few streets from Amanda, and also that there was a house for rent at the end of her street. Funny how he's so well-informed about her immediate neighborhood. I know he drops by her place fairly often—maybe more often than I know. And despite his denials, he listens to her when she talks about her family and her neighborhood. Now he'll get another big dose of suburban life. Billy chuckled inwardly. He doesn't know what he's in for. Yard work, kaffe klatches, kids running around everywhere. It should be quite a culture shock for our swinging bachelor. But Amanda will be there, and she'll help him over the rough spots. They'll solve the case—I have confidence in those two. There never was a more unlikely partnership—but it works and they have a great solve rate. Well worth the 'growing pains' both of them have been through. They're finally hitting their stride—and I expect great things from them as time goes on.

June 26, 1985 Between second and third seasons

Billy Melrose was sitting in Larry Crawford's chair in the Q Bureau. Mrs. Marsden had just called to let him know Larry Crawford was coming up.

The door opened, and Crawford entered, put a box in the corner—and straightened. He started to see his boss sitting in his chair.

"Hello Billy. To what do I owe this visit?" He tried for cheerful, but ended up sounding suspicious.

"Crawford, do you remember that little meeting we had at the end of March?"

"Yeah." Crawford wasn't going to give Billy anything.

"It's three months later. So I have tried to get ahold of you for the past two days. And guess what? You've been unavailable all that time."

"I've been out of town." Billy was silent. Crawford continued. "In New York." Billy stayed silent. Crawford plowed gamefully onward. "I was checking out a few things at the UN."

"Crawford—we have a New York office—it's THEIR job to monitor anything that may go down at the UN. Why didn't you give whatever information you had to them?"

"Because I was following someone from DC—and they ended up at the UN. It's a DC case—the guy just happened to go to the UN for a few days. So I followed. Simple as that."

Billy shook his head. "I see you haven't managed to make much headway cleaning up this place." He gestured to take in all the piles of files and information that was strewn all over every available surface, and had started taking over the floor.

"It's better than it was. I got the place cleaned up after we talked—didn't Ragmop say anything about that? Or does he only report the bad boys and girls?"

"I haven't heard anything from Ragmop about you lately. I'm just using my eyes." He looked around the messy office.

"Look—things have gotten a little out of hand, I'll admit. Maybe I can borrow someone to help with the filing. Some days I could spend half my time filing. But filing doesn't clear cases. And you want me to clear cases."

"I want you to do the paperwork AND clear cases."

"Look, I've got a line on a highly placed Russian—KGB guy—he's working some weird contacts—and I think maybe we might have a leak here. A double agent."

"What exactly do you have?"

"Nothing I can use as evidence. Yet. I'm working on it. You know these things take time."

Billy sighed. Why did he think the guy was giving him a snow job? "All right. Follow your leads. But I also expect this place to get cleaned up, too. Spend a weekend here if you need to—but get the place in order. Other people use those files in that vault. Right now, I don't think there's much anyone could easily find, do you? And keep me informed about what you're doing. I expect a briefing sheet on your surveillance—names, places whatever you've got. If we do have a double agent, I don't want to be blindsided by it. I need to know whatever you know. Soon, got it?"

"Yeah, I'll get right on it."

Billy stood and made for the door. "I'll leave you to it then. And I expect that briefing sheet by tomorrow afternoon, got it?"

"Right Billy. You'll have it by then."

Billy shut the door of the Q Bureau behind himself. 'Why don't I think I'll get that briefing sheet? Crawford may be on to something—but he's also hiding something. Probably a girlfriend or something unsavory. Maybe I'll run a checkup on the man. It's not time for him—but I do want to know what he's doing with his time. Now I'm spending my resources shadowing my own people. If he doesn't shape up—I'll have to scooch him. I hate doing it—but I need everyone working at full capacity. Not goofing off in New York.'

'But if I do end up scooching the guy—who will I get to take over the Q Bureau? That's something I need to think about.' BiIly went back downstairs to his office.

____________________________________________________

AN—This is the end of season 2. There may be a bit of a hiatus before season 3 is finished and ready to post—but never fear—I plan on finishing this—ALL of it, so stay tuned! Ermintrude


	19. Chapter 19

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 19

Third season

After A Lovely Little Affair September 23, 1985

Billy reviewed the reports on the Allan Chamberlain case. Mrs. King handled herself well. Granted, making contact with Chamberlain was a fluke—but she managed to turn it into a useful relationship, and through that the Agency was able to apprehend Franco Necci and was well on the way to breaking up Red February.

He sat back and thought. In the two years since Scarecrow had picked her out of the crowd at that commuter station—Amanda had gone from a naïve sometimes inept helper to a solid reliable partner for his best agent—and half of his best team. Billy had seen the potential from the start—the woman had smarts, courage and amazing instincts. But she had also worked hard herself—to learn as much as possible. And she was finally handling herself well on the solo assignments Billy sent her on. He thought back to her two most spectacular mishaps—the white slavery case and her counterfeiting arrest in Munich. Both had led to bigger things—and all had ended well—but his stomach had not fared well during those cases—they really should not have been cases in the first place.

Still through all of that—kidnappings, poisonings, impersonation and the uneven temper of her volatile partner—she managed to survive and thrive. She was turning into a very good agent. Partly through the mentoring of her partner, but also due to her own considerable grit and determination.

Francine had also displayed similar determination in her early days at the Agency—but Francine was a well-prepared, highly educated, agent trainee. And she was hard as nails. Amanda King was determined—but in a sweet, disarming way. The woman had a core of solid steel—but her cheerful, helpful demeanor masked it well. People often underestimated her—and that was a distinct advantage in this business. Her solid grounding in 'real life' also made her a valuable asset to Billy's unit and the Agency as a whole.

The relationship she had managed to forge with her partner was also a subject of gossip. Some people thought they were lovers. They definitely were not. Billy just knew they were not lovers. For one thing, Mrs. King's moral code wouldn't allow it. She felt she needed to be a good example for her boys, and so would conduct herself with propriety. Then there was Scarecrow. He was a playboy—a handsome dashing urbane man-about-town, who liked to play the field. A suburban housewife with two boys, a mother and a mortgage was definitely not his type. But Billy could see that facade was crumbling. He was more solicitous of her, he took her feelings into consideration and he was fiercely protective of her—in every way. Sometimes Billy wondered if the man realized what his actions signaled. All men at the Agency knew Amanda King was off-limits. The few that had ignored the warnings had learned—personally and up-close—just how jealous Lee Stetson was of his partner's attentions. No wonder people figured they were lovers.

Billy knew Lee had a strong streak of survivor's guilt, and some of his protectiveness stemmed from that. He had also recruited Amanda into the business—albeit reluctantly. His passing her that package had been meant as nothing more than a fast impromptu mule job. The fact that she had not passed the package to his contact—and had insinuated herself into the man's career—and life—had been a source of constant annoyance for him from the start. It took nine months before Scarecrow volunteered to use her on an assignment—without prodding or coercion. Billy fondly remembered that day when Lee had suggested she accompany him on a weekend assignment at the Cumberland.

Reading the reports—Billy had surmised it hadn't been all fun and Scarecrow had probably regretted his suggestion more than once. But they had solved the case and rescued Dr. Tucker—so yet another successful operation was chalked up to the partnership of Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

Now—over a year later, Lee was treating Amanda as something of an equal. He tolerated her rambling better—though she had toned that down somewhat—he respected her hunches and they were an effective team whose skills complimented each others' shortcomings well. They still had their arguments—Billy suspected those would never go away—it was part and parcel of their dynamic—but they were fewer and less acrimonious. More like clearing the air between them.

Yes, he was very glad he had pushed Amanda King on Lee Stetson. It had been a battle at first, but now he knew Lee was happy to have her as his partner—and he referred to her as his partner. It had taken over a year—but he had finally accepted it. Miracles did still occur. Billy was grateful for that, and sent up another prayer of thanks to whatever guardian angel had sent Mrs. King to that train station that chilly October morning.

We're Off to See the Wizard September 30, 1985

'So Paul Barnes is in town, and Scarecrow's girlfriends are being killed by Serdeyich. Poor Lee. Hopefully he knows what good friends he has in Francine and Amanda. Not many women would willingly help interview a man's girlfriends. Four black books! I knew the man was a heavy player—but four black books? That has to be some sort of record. He's 35—he can't keep up that pace forever. He has to slow down eventually and have a more normal life. Who am I kidding? This is Scarecrow here. He hasn't had normal since he was 5.'

'I wonder what Amanda's thinking about all of this. She masks her thoughts better nowadays. I know she was dismayed to discover just how many black books Lee had. But she's a trouper and devoted to her partner—so she'll help him in any way she can. And she can also see that Lee is being affected by all of this. We all hoped Serdeyich would fade away—but he's targeting Barnes and Lee. And now Amanda, as well. He couldn't have possibly known about Amanda before he got to town, so he must be observing us all.'

'All this is bringing back Lee's memories of Dorothy. He still broods about it. And Amanda accessed his files. I'm not supposed to know about it—but I think it's good for their partnership if she is a bit better informed about some of Scarecrow's past cases. And Dorothy and Oz are very important in the chain of events that made Scarecrow what he is today. And maybe—if she understands what happened—she can help him work through it all. She has the best chance—because he certainly won't see the shrinks.'

'Even though this is a tough one—if they can manage to catch Serdeyich—or at least drive him back into the hole he crawled out from—this might do Lee some good—chasing away some of his old ghosts. And he has more than a few. Please do your best, Amanda. Your partner needs you on this one more than ever.'

After We're Off to See the Wizard September 30, 1985

Billy sat back and read Dr. Pfaff's report on his session with Scarecrow. 'Just to have him come in is a miracle. How does that woman do it? I guess I don't really care—as long as they get results—then I'm happy.'

'Serdeyich was Tin Man—another mole. Damn—we have so many of those. And Amanda figured it out. It almost got her killed—and Barnes and Scarecrow—but everyone's alive and Lee wasn't hallucinating about Dorothy. Just the idea he was bothered by it—that it would be an effective tactic against him—shows he still has deep baggage over Dorothy. He saw Pfaff once—at Amanda's urging—but I doubt there will be a repeat session.'

'Hopefully this case has helped the two of them iron out a few things between them. Scarecrow is never forthcoming about his past—but this one made him tell her a few stories and she accessed his files to get a bit more information. That wasn't quite kosher—but I think maybe I'll hint she can read a bit more here and there if she's interested. And I know she's interested. She's interested in anything about her partner's past life—in and out of the Agency.'

'Now hopefully Paul Barnes will leave the woman alone. I saw him eyeing her up. And Barnes was always in competition with Scarecrow for the ladies. I don't need another fight on my hands. Because if Barnes decides to romance her—he won't stop at a mere warning from Scarecrow. If anything that would just encourage him. Maybe I'll warn Barnes off—make it an order—or better—he's resigning—but that process can go smoothly or slowly—and I can see to it the wheels are greased if he cooperates. Yeah—I'll set it up to expedite his retirement and pension with a few perks thrown in—all on the understanding that he leaves Amanda King strictly alone. That should do it. The man wants to get back to normal life—and nowadays Amanda has nothing like a normal life.' Billy sat back with satisfaction. 'Have to protect my best team.'


	20. Chapter 20

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 20

Over the Limit October 7, 1985

Billy sat at his desk and surveyed the stack of files before him. Spring Cleaning—even though it was not spring—it was that time of year for his people to go out and investigate all the fringe groups in the DC area. There were so many—and you never knew what they were about unless you sent someone to see them in action. So Billy would divide up the files, and send his agents out to check out all the new—and old—groups. He knew everyone hated this duty—but it was a necessary task—and so he assigned his people to do it—or ordered as the case may be.

This year—maybe Amanda could help out. She's been around a while, and she could start taking on some of the more routine duties of the other field agents—even though she was still only a civilian auxiliary. Her people skills would also come in handy. She was pleasant and personable and could befriend a rock given enough time. Her friendly approach would get more information than her partner's reluctant interrogations would. He'd send them together, and maybe they could get things done more quickly—and with fewer complaints from the groups being investigated.

After Over the Limit October 7, 1985

Billy closed the file on the Save the Bay case. The bombing of a senator was a big deal—and Amanda had almost gotten killed herself. The bomb blast in the park at the rally was something he preferred to avoid. Their ultimate job was to protect civilians from that sort of activity. If they did their jobs properly there would not be such incidents. Ever.

Billy thought back to Leatherneck's report on Amanda's session on the firing range. The all-time low-ball score. It was a source of highly amused gossip among the other personnel—but to Billy it was a strong worry. OK, she shot the pulley and got the bad guy that way. But she should be able to shoot at a person if the situation demanded it. She was in the line of fire more often now—she had been from the start—and she needed every skill she could develop to protect herself, her partner and the Agency's interests. And that meant being able to use a gun effectively—to shoot at a person if the occasion demanded it.

Most agents never killed a person in their entire careers. But she was partnered with the Agency's top agent—and Scarecrow was more than a bit of a hot-shot—which meant he used his weapon more often than most agents. Oddly—she seemed comfortable with the idea of her partner shooting at and possibly killing people. But she couldn't do it herself. Billy doubted a session or two with Pfaff would help any. She'd go—but her strongly ingrained moral code wasn't going to be 'psyched' away.

He thought a bit. Maybe Leatherneck would have some ideas about how to get her less intractable about it. She was willing to try—she didn't like it—but she was reluctantly compliant when Billy ordered her to the range. He thought back—it was almost the only thing she'd balked at since she started. That had to be some sort of record. But unfortunately—it was a key element in being an agent—and she had to learn how to use a weapon effectively. There was no getting around that one. So he'd take Leatherneck out to lunch and maybe they would be able to devise some way to present the test so Amanda King would finally learn to effectively use a weapon. Because sooner or later—it would mean her or her partner's life. And Billy needed both of them alive and healthy.'

Before Tail of the Dancing Weasel October 14, 1985

Billy sat at his desk and reviewed the file on Larry Crawford. 'I gave the man six months to clean up his act—and he hasn't. He claimed he was on to some double agent—but he's produced no concrete evidence—or even a name. Yet this case has been taking up most all his time since August.'

He shook his head. 'I hate to do it—but I need productive agents—not goofs who sit around playing spy and not clearing cases or even doing their own paperwork. He had a civilian auxiliary helping out over the summer—but she said she didn't have the clearance for some of what he wanted her to do and I won't spare another agent to pick up after the man. So that's it. I've got to scooch him. I hate to do it—but he had a chance to clean up his act. Six months of chance—and he blew it. Maybe I can promote someone from within to fill his spot. Because I can't be down an agent for long. Maybe we can hold another Station One Class ahead of schedule.'

'Now the question is—who will take over the Q Bureau? I need someone who's NOT like Crawford. Someone who's a self-starter. Someone who won't lay down on the job. Someone with a lot better contacts than Crawford. Someone who's sharp and capable—a team player but also a lone wolf—lone wolf! Scarecrow. Though he's really no longer a lone wolf—he has his amazing partner, Amanda—she's not an official agent. And she can help him keep up with the paperwork and filing. Plus it will allow her to be around and help him out with cases as he needs her. And he's using her skills on his own—he even admits they are partners. Sure took a long time, though. She does have the clearance to do the filing—she's the highest clearance civilian auxiliary we have. I'd up it—but regs. limit the clearance levels for non-agents. I had to pull a few strings to get her the clearance she has. And if she needs higher, Francine or I can always authorize it on a case-by-case basis.'

'Yes, I think Scarecrow is due for something new—something other than his partner. He gets restless if things stay the same for too long. He's finally used to Amanda—they are a good team and have a fantastic solve rate. I bet they'd be great with the Q Bureau. And they'd still be available for regular assignments if I need them. Scarecrow is a self-starter and Amanda will keep him on track. She's one of the most conscientious people I know. She volunteered to return the $50,000 that Margaret Brock placed in her savings account. We would have gotten around to it eventually—but most people would have let it stay there and drawn off the interest. Not Amanda.'

'And another advantage with giving Scarecrow the Q Bureau is that it will give the two of them a bit of privacy. That way they can have their arguments away from the rest of the unit. I realize they need to be able to clear the air—and that's how they communicate—but their arguments are disruptive. People stop working to watch and bet on the outcome. I'm not supposed to know about it, but I do. And I would rather my people were working than making side bets about whether Scarecrow will finally win an argument. They have fewer arguments than they did in the beginning, and they are getting along better lately—but they still argue from time to time, and I'm tired of hearing about it endlessly. You would think these people would have enough else to do without poking their noses into the lives of their co-workers. So if I move Scarecrow upstairs—into his own private office—I keep him out of the bullpen. It isn't his fault he's a bit larger-than-life. But I need a quiet and productive work environment—so that's settled. Scarecrow gets the Q Bureau after I—no better—we scooch Larry Crawford. Let Scarecrow in on the downside of the job as well as the perks.'

After Tail of the Dancing Weasel October 14, 1985

Harry V. Thornton stood as Billy Melrose came to his table at an elegant but discreet restaurant. "Glad you could make it, Lancer." They shook hands and sat.

"I'm just glad you're free to have lunch with me. It was a near thing. If Amanda hadn't found that letter in time, you might be in custody right now."

"Scarecrow has faith in the woman, and I have faith in Scarecrow. And now Amanda, too."

"He sure can pick 'em." Billy admitted ruefully.

"She's not one of his stable of women—she's something unique."

"You can say that again. She managed to turn him around within six months of their working together. I was almost despairing of the man before that. After Eric was killed…"

Harry shook his head. "Our boy takes that sort of thing too hard."

"Losing a partner is always hard—you know that, Harry."

"Yes it is—as is losing an agent or contact. But it happens. That's the nature of the business. Scarecrow was in Vietnam, and he's never gotten over the survivor's guilt from that. I guess we can't understand—that was a different war from our wars."

"You can say that again. Every one of the men who came back from that place was changed—every one of them has some sort of quirk. Some can live with it better than others—but too many never were able to adjust to civilian life. Too many are still back there—in their minds and souls—poor bastards."

Both men sat in brooding silence—for a war that had torn the country apart and for the poor lost souls who had been irreparably damaged by it.

Billy decided to change the mood. "So you've finally met Amanda King—what do you think of her?"

Harry smiled. "She's everything Lee has said—and so much more. At first he complained about her. Said she was a nuisance and an albatross that you had saddled him with."

"An albatross!" Billy laughed. "That's harsh, even for Scarecrow."

"He talked to me less than a month after he had handed her that package. He was still smarting that she had managed to break the case and save his butt. Though to hear him tell it, they nearly died dozens of times while she was trying to fly that helicopter."

"It was a hair-raising flight. But they got the bad guys and landed safely—so it all turned out OK."

"And you decided to keep her on, and partner her with him." Harry said knowingly.

"I had to do something. The woman managed to keep up with him, and she stood up to him from the start. Even Eric had a bit of adjustment there. She put him in his place from the very beginning. I wasn't about to pass that sort of ability up. Plus she has amazing instincts—she's a natural."

"Lee says he'd trust her to lead him blind through a blizzard at midnight."

Billy was surprised. "I knew he trusted the woman—I'm just surprised he'd admit it to you."

"So was I. Obviously, there's more than meets the eye to their partnership. I had wondered if they were involved—but after talking to her—getting to know her—I don't think so. She's not that type of woman."

"No she isn't. And that's one reason I think they're such a good team. But he's very jealous of her attentions. Any other male who gets within 10 feet of her is risking a bruising if he tries to make a move on her."

"Does he realize what that says about the two of them?"

"He's oblivious about it. He's oblivious about a lot of things about her."

"That could be dangerous for our boy."

"He's gotten into trouble on her behalf more than once. He even committed treason to trade back for her…"

"I heard about that one. But they managed to get Rostov back and get a few more as well."

Billy smiled. "They have a fantastic solve rate. That's why she stays on."

"That—and she saved your life."

Billy looked sheepish. "You know about that one—what am I saying?—of course you do. You keep pretty close tabs on us all—even now."

"I like to keep informed—I still have my clearances. And I'm glad I do. That Amanda is some woman, and Scarecrow's lucky to have her. He even seems to be appreciating her. That's good. He's a better agent for it—though I'd appreciate it if you didn't pass that one along."

"Don't worry—nobody knows about our lunches. It's need to know, and nobody else needs to know."

"I trained you well, Lancer. You've still got it."

"Yes I do. And hopefully I'll still have it for a few more years."


	21. Chapter 21

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 21

Welcome to America Mr. Brand October 21, 1985

Billy sat at his desk and reviewed the list of visiting dignitaries. He hated this sort of thing. His people were supposed to be out there catching the bad guys—not showing a bunch of dignitaries around DC. OK, so many of these dignitaries were from other intelligence agencies throughout the world—but still, it rankled in these times of budget cuts and cost oversights.

He sighed, and yielded to the inevitable. He started assigning agents to individuals and groups of dignitaries. Hopefully the KGB and rest of the 'enemy' agencies would hold off for the next few days—otherwise there would be some dignitaries sans escorts—and that would be bad. Billy knew this was one of the exigencies of bureaucratic favors. If you wanted your people treated well abroad—you had to treat their people well when they came over here. He knew even he would have to greet and show around a few people—administrator to administrator. They'd do lunch and swap stories—maybe he'd actually pick up a few pointers—but he doubted it.

He checked the last request—James Brand—an actuary in MI-6's pensions department. He shook his head. Yes, the man deserved the same treatment that the others did—but an accountant? He did have security clearance—but he was no agent. So who could Billy get to show this guy around? Wait—not an agent—he'd get Scarecrow to ask Amanda to show the guy around. He sounded harmless enough. Not at all like that French attaché Amanda had nicknamed 'the grabber'. Billy felt bad about that one. The guy was supposedly older and married—but apparently he thought as he was not at home he had free license to 'play'. And he'd tried his charms on Amanda King. Repeatedly. To Mrs. King's great annoyance. She rarely complained—but this time it sounded entirely justified. She related to Lee she had ended up with a couple of bruises in delicate spots. She hadn't had to resort to actual violence—but it had been a near thing. Times were different nowadays. Maybe 10 years ago a visiting dignitary could expect a 'good time' from his female escort—goodness knows Francine had 'entertained' many a visiting dignitary. But it had always been a voluntary thing—the woman had the right to refuse any 'extra' attentions beyond the polite tour and a meal.

So he'd get Scarecrow to ask his partner to show Brand around DC, and hopefully he'd be dull as a stick. Amanda was a good person, and so she would do her best to be gracious and hospitable. Billy didn't need another international incident, so he fervently prayed this Brand was just as boring and mundane as he sounded.

Sour Grapes October 28, 1985

This case of the dead judge, and the two others was baffling. Heroin in their systems—at a purity guaranteed to kill. Someone was smuggling heroin into the US using vintage wines. Seemed a shame to waste good vintage wine that way. Lee and Amanda had traced the missing case to a charity auction—and once again Amanda's charity skills had stood the Agency in good stead. She had been able to get the donor list while her partner was shown around by the barracuda in charge. At least that's what Lee had called her after being forced to part with a generous charity donation. The man could afford it—and it would make a nice deduction on his taxes.

So Amanda would go in to the auction and bid on the tainted wine—while he, Lee and Francine would stake out the crowd and see who bid against her. Hopefully they'd then catch the big mastermind behind the scheme. They had the sommelier—but he was small potatoes compared to the big man in charge. Hopefully it would end well—there had been a couple murder attempts on Lee and Amanda posing as wealthy wine connoisseurs. And therefore Billy had decided to personally be present to help nab Mr. Big. That way he could help with the capture without reassigning another agent. He and Francine could still do field work occasionally—and it was useful in cases like this. He had impersonated an African dignitary during the Byron Jordan case—and it had turned out well. But that was more of a case of being the only person for the job on short notice. Before that he'd gone after Gordon Redding when Amanda's duplicate had managed to kidnap Lee. He and Francine had been available—and so they left—no time to call anyone else in.

Yes, being field ready was an asset that he prided himself on. And having Francine was helpful, too. Hopefully when she took over after he retired, she'd do the same thing. It helped give perspective to the lives of your people to occasionally go out into the trenches yourself.

Utopia Now November 4, 1985

Billy had a strong feeling that something was not right. Lee had missed his 4:30 check-in, and then someone had phoned to verify their covers. If things were going well—that should have not happened. If he had known how unstable Sacker was before he sent Lee and Amanda out there to track down his New Utopia—he'd have changed the game plan.

But it was too late for that—so he had to make plans for a possible rescue. Leprechaun was out there with Sacker—and had stopped reporting. Damn that man—why did these agents think they knew better than he did? Why were they insubordinate so often? Billy had been in the field for years—and doing worse jobs than most of these young hot shots ever did.

He thought back to the many times he'd gone in on an assignment as a janitor or waiter or—worst of all—garbage collector. That had been a long boring assignment over a hot summer in the South. Still, being black limited the roles he could fill and stay credible. And—as Harry had often emphasized—being black in a servile role made him virtually invisible—which was a great asset in the intelligence business. He knew he had been very lucky to be hired by Harry and he knew Harry appreciated his intelligence, skills and education. And so Billy had swallowed his pride and made the most of his opportunities. And all that had gotten him to where he was now. A highly paid—in terms of the civil service—administrator in charge of a group of fine people.

So Billy again swallowed his pride, and planned to send in a team to possibly rescue Lee and Amanda. They depended on him and he wasn't going to let them down. They were his best team, and he owed it to them to rectify any mistakes they had made. Hopefully it would turn out well.

After Utopia Now November 4, 1985

'Something happened out there in that swamp. I don't know what—but something happened.' Billy sat at his desk after reading the debriefings from Scarecrow and his partner the night before. He had been present as an observer during their debriefings. It had been somewhat routine—they had described their adventures. But both their demeanors had changed when each came to the part where they ran for their lives into the swamp. Chained together. That was unusual. Scarecrow had gotten somewhat clinical in his description. They had run until after nightfall. They had found dry land and built a small fire. Then somehow Sacker's men had seen something, and fired into the swamp. They had put out the fire, ducked, and when the gunfire had stopped, they bedded down for the night. It all sounded plausible.

Amanda's description had been nearly identical. Running into the swamp chained together—finding dry land after nightfall—building a small fire—Sacker's men firing into the swamp—bedding down huddled together for the night. She had sounded shy and her eyes had been downcast while she related her story. Yes, definitely—something had happened that night.

Once they came to the next day—each returned to their normal self. They related how they had found the fence bordering the underground White House, and how things had wrapped up.

Billy knew better than to assume there had been any sexual encounter. Mrs. King just wasn't that type, and Scarecrow knew better than to jeopardize the both of them by forgetting himself in such a dangerous situation. But something had happened.

Billy was not naïve—he understood that details were always left out of debriefings. By now Mrs. King was experienced enough to know how the drill went. They probably didn't have to discuss it at all—those two were so much in synch by now that they would give stories that were identical in their omissions. But what had they omitted? What had happened on that hillock in the middle of that swamp? They had been tired, hungry—certainly they were cold. They had admitted they huddled together for warmth. But there was something more—Billy knew it in his bones. They had not been uncomfortable with each other—quite the opposite. They exhibited their usual close partnership he had seen develop over the past two years. But there seemed to be something more. Billy would keep an eye out to see how they interacted in the next few weeks. Would anything change? He was extremely interested to see what would happen.


	22. Chapter 22

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 22

Reach for the Sky November 11, 1985

Billy stood at the opened safe in Allen Agheny's study. He held the die with the single spot on all six faces. Cyclops. It had been years, but he had to track them down. They had beaten him in the past and he wasn't going to allow them to do it again. Most of the intelligence community didn't believe in Cyclops—but Billy knew better. He had tangled with them in the past—and if Allen thought they were involved—he'd do whatever it took to root them out.

He looked back at the body of his ex-colleague—and friend. Billy and Allen had worked together overseas on several cases. They worked for different intelligence services—different countries—but they had managed to forge a sound friendship and a good working relationship. Now Allen was dead. Billy owed it to him to try to avenge his death.

Billy went to the nearest pay phone and dialed a special number. The one that bypassed the switchboard and rang in the director's office.

"Go ahead." Dr. Smyth answered.

"This is Melrose—I need to go back into the field. I have a line on an international banking crime—it concerns a bank the Agency has funds in."

"What bank?"

"The International Bank of New Hebron."

"I know it—what is the threat?"

"I'm not sure yet—I have a line on a possible theft involving computers and satellites—but I don't have the details yet. I need to track down some leads. They killed the president—Allen Agheny—made it look like suicide. I need to prove that it's murder."

"Melrose—you're a damned good administrator. Come back in and we can see what your unit can manage."

"No—I need to do this myself. I know about the possible perpetrators. I have the experience. Nobody else in my unit does."

"Come back in—I cannot sanction any field work for you."

"Then I'll go out on my own. But I will follow up on these leads I have."

"You will be going rogue—I can have you fired for this."

"I need to do this—with or without your sanction."

"If you go rogue, I can't help you. I'll have to try to yank you back in to sanitize you. Think long and hard about this."

"I'm following up on these leads. I will tell you that Allen Agheny's death was not suicide—despite the evidence. Melrose out."

Billy knew better than to go back to his house—Dr. Smyth would have people watching out for him there. He made another call—this time to his home.

"Jeannie?"

"William—you're working late again."

"I have to be away for a while. I'm following up on a few things. Don't worry. I'll call when I can."

He heard his wife sigh. "Is this like the old days?"

He smiled. Jeannie understood him so well. He was lucky to have her. "I love you, Jeannie. Kiss the girls for me and let them know I'll be home in a couple of days."

"I love you too. Be careful, and come home to us."

He hung up the phone, and thought about where he'd spend the next few days. He had contacts the Agency didn't know about—he'd look up some musicians he'd played with back in the day. He'd camp out with them and follow up on the leads Allan had left for him.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

The next morning, Billy had staked out the International Bank of New Hebron in a telephone repair truck he had borrowed from another old contact. It was good to have contacts that he kept in touch with. Even after all these years they came in handy now and again. He saw Zorbelle come into work, and move around inside the bank. Apparently Agheny's suicide was causing some consternation among the employees. Billy figured it was Zorbelle who killed him—the information Allen had left pointed to the man.

Then he spotted a couple entering the bank—sure enough—it was Scarecrow and his partner. Damn! Smyth must have put Lee on the case—hoping he'd find Billy and bring him back in. He didn't need that—he needed to be free to follow up and find Cyclops. He watched Lee and Amanda play bank examiners and leave with a thick sheaf of printouts. Then Zorbelle left, and Lee and Amanda followed him. Billy stayed at his post. He figured the action would be at the bank. If he needed to move—now wasn't the time.

After almost an hour—Zorbelle returned to the bank, and went about his business. Billy figured the man would be occupied there for the rest of the day—so he decided to go to his place and see what he could find there.

Billy entered Zorbelle's townhouse from the rear—the place was very heavily wired for security, but Billy had no trouble defeating the system. He cautiously opened the study door and looked around before entering. He spotted the security camera, and had the electrical tape ready to cover the lens. The man might know someone had broken in—but Billy would make sure he couldn't discover who.

He went through the desk and found a bank ledger—with many coded number entries. He figured they were computer codes that could be used in bank transfers. Somehow they'd use those with satellite wire transfers to steal a billion dollars from several international banks. The question was—how?

He quickly photographed all the pages and replaced the ledger. Then he re-locked the desk. Best to leave things as undisturbed as he could. He heard a noise: someone was coming in to the house. He hid behind the curtains and waited to see who it was.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

"Stay the hell out of this, Scarecrow." He told his agent as Zorbelle ushered him outside. Hopefully Lee would obey—but he thought probably not. The man wouldn't give up—he didn't care about Allen or Cyclops—he just wanted to see Billy safe and back in the Agency.

As Billy rode with Zorbelle—he asked about their crime. Zorbelle wasn't forthcoming, but Billy was getting a better picture of the operation. He was grateful the man had left Lee alive. Apparently Allen's death had raised more questions than they wanted—so they were being careful about leaving any more bodies. At least Scarecrow had a fighting chance.

Billy knew he might be risking a lot to allow himself to be taken—but he would also be brought into the center of Cyclops operation. It was a big risk—but one he was willing to take. Allen deserved his best efforts. He owed it to the man. And he'd repay the debt—no matter what it cost him.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy swam up to consciousness. They had drugged him and tried to question him. He'd just retreated into his mantra. Theoretically he could keep it up for days—but he also needed to try to escape. And during the times they left him alone—he managed to gather his thoughts enough to try to get free. The chair they had him strapped in was too strong and secure. Still—he had to try. Maybe he could overhear something that would prove useful. He refused to give in to despair. He had come through many tight spots in the years he had operated out in the field—more often alone, though he had partners now and again. He hoped this wasn't the end of the road for him. He refused to give up. He was sorry his friend had died, and he still hoped he could do something to make that death mean something. He retreated back into his mantra as he heard them coming back to question him some more.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

He fought his way back to consciousness—he heard a noise—the air was thick and tasted foul. Some sort of gas. He tried to get loose—but it was no good. Then he heard gunfire—Scarecrow and Amanda were there—they got him loose—he rested heavily on Amanda as the three of them caught their breath in the hallway.

"Amanda help him. Stay put and out of trouble." Lee told his partner.

"I think we'll stay with you it's the best way to stay out of trouble." Amanda replied quickly, countering his order.

"All right." Lee sounded a bit exasperated—but he didn't argue about it. Interestingly they were very in tune in the field. Billy's mind was fuzzy and he concentrated on keeping up with the pair.

They made their way down to the hall to the board room—and it was empty—but for a die with a single dot on each of its six sides. Cyclops calling card.

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They quickly searched the whole floor, but except for the dead guard—the place was empty. Cyclops had vanished.

Lee went back and got his clothes and changed out of the guard's uniform. He and Amanda searched the place—but they found nothing that would connect anything to Cyclops. They did collect the medical waste from Billy's interrogation. Otherwise they came up empty.

They stayed in the empty suite—trading theories and exchanging data. Amanda's research tying Charles Caanan to the building would help show some connection to Cyclops—but they had no new information or ideas about the crime they were planning. Billy's head cleared slowly, but after a couple of hours he was good enough to operate in the field.

By now it was daylight and they left the penthouse and went back down to the street and Amanda's car. They split up—Billy and Amanda covering the street and Lee flying in the Agency chopper overhead—trying to spot the criminals with their satellite disk overpowering the legitimate microwave signals.

Billy watched Lee and Amanda work together and it was fascinating. They were very in tune with each other. They didn't argue much in the field—they were direct and got the job done. He noticed each was careful to watch out for the other—make sure their partner was safe.

Finally they tracked down the criminals—and managed to thwart the crime. Billy shot two of them, and Lee and Amanda managed to stop the other two. Billy was impressed how Amanda was able to knock out their female assassin with her car door. It would need repairs from the dent the woman had made—but that was a minor price to pay for successfully wrapping up the case.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Back at the Agency, Billy was up in Dr. Smyth's office after his secret debriefing.

"Well, Melrose. You managed to prove Cyclops exists—bag the leaders and stop their robbery. Not bad work for an old rogue elephant."

Billy stayed silent. He knew there was more to come.

"I won't fire you—this time. You took a big chance—but as you came up roses—you get to work here another day."

"Thank you sir." Billy decided brevity was his best choice.

"You're off the roster for the rest of the day. We told your unit you had the flu—and I think you will have it another day before you manage to recover enough to return to work. It gives you a day to get checked out by our doctors and make sure all the drugs have passed out of your system. You're suspended from the time you went rogue until tomorrow when you return to work. Be grateful that's all you get. I'm not putting anything permanent in your file—you closed the case."

Billy nodded. Smyth waved him off and he left.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Back at home, Billy greeted his wife and daughters. It was good to be home. It was good to have a job, but it was best to have closed down Cyclops and avenged his friend's death.

Billy thought about Lee and Amanda's help. Without them he would have ended up dead. That gas was lethal. And even if he had been able to escape—without them he wouldn't have been able to capture the leaders of Cyclops. He knew he shouldn't have favorites among his people—but he had always thought of Lee as a son—and from the start it seemed Amanda was like a daughter to him as well. And they seemed to hold him in a similar regard. Friends in the business were rare—and he had more than any person could hope for.

Billy had noticed the close camaraderie Lee and Amanda enjoyed in the field. They held hands, and put their arms around each other. They never acted like that in the office. Apparently they felt more comfortable with each other when on their cases. And they were very close. It was almost like they could read each others minds. He could see how they managed to solve their cases—they were a well-oiled team. Amanda had related to him how they managed to break in to the penthouse while he was driving around DC in her station wagon. He marveled at the teamwork—Amanda confusing the guard and Lee knocking him out. They had devised the plan together—and it blended their skills beautifully. She related how she had been distressed when Lee had shot and killed the guard—she hated to see anyone killed—even the bad guys—but she also acknowledged Lee had no choice. Billy saw she was conflicted about it. She admired the man—and relied on his physical skills to keep them both safe—but she also deplored the necessity of using guns and killing.

Billy knew it was just a matter of time before those two decided to act upon their feelings for each other. He briefly worried about the possible consequences—but then he realized it was part of what made them such a good team. And if they could keep it under the radar—he would do all he could to run interference for them. People in their line of business rarely had a chance at true happiness—and he knew those two were destined to be together. So he'd stay alert, and do what he could to facilitate their possible relationship. He'd keep current with the rumors and do what he could to protect them from the higher-ups who didn't understand what the life of a field agent was like. He owed them at least that much.

And he had to re-schedule Amanda's test. She wasn't going to give up on becoming a full agent—and neither would he.


	23. Chapter 23

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 23

J. Edgar's Ghost November 18, 1985

'Amanda King trolling the gin mills on E street.' Billy shook his head at the image. 'The woman won't have any trouble attracting men. She's beautiful and her sweet disarming nature just attracts them. But she's uncomfortable about it. That's OK—she needs to start operating in places she's not familiar with. God knows—we spend way too much of our surveillance time in the dives, sleazy motels and strip joints. She has little experience with those places. All in all—E street is fairly benign compared to some of the places the scum we battle hang out.'

'Scarecrow is totally at home on E street. He's a regular—correction—he used to be a regular. I've read the reports and listened to the gossip. The man has stopped running around. He hasn't dated anyone in the Agency—which is for the best—for a while now. The steno pool talks about him like a long-past legend—not a current player. He also has been absent on the social scene except in relation to assignments—and then mostly accompanied by his partner.'

Billy thought for a few moments. 'Could the man finally be coming to his senses? Could he finally have taken off the blinders and seen what has been under his nose for over two years now? If Francine can praise Amanda in an official report—miracles still do happen. Stetson needs stability and people he can count on—and not just connected to the job. Agents with strong family ties tend to stay alive longer. Agents with partners live longer, and married agents also live longer. I'm not expecting the man to marry his partner—though I'd do whatever I could to help them if they did marry—but I would hope he could get to know her family and perhaps decide to take them into his heart—as he has already done with his partner.'

'They may never do anything about it. But they are a solid team—great friends—and maybe they can find love together. I'm not supposed to condone it—but who am I to stop fate? And it was fate that made him give her that package back then. So far, everyone has come out ahead—and I'm doing my best to insure things stay positive.'

Flight to Freedom November 25, 1985

Billy read the report on the Tac team cleaning up the Triton Club. "Civilian Auxiliary Amanda King was present, standing over a subdued suspect—guarding him with a weapon." Billy felt like cheering. 'Finally! Amanda finally was able to effectively use a weapon to help subdue a suspect. She didn't have to shoot anyone—nobody ended up dead—but she managed to wrap the guy in a net—and then stood over him aiming a weapon at him. And he was quiet and compliant because she used the weapon. Hopefully she learned a valuable lesson.'

Billy sat back and let out a long-held breath. 'I've been holding my breath about this from the beginning. I know she's reluctant to use a weapon. She fired off that automatic weapon during the Sacker case—but she admitted that was a mistake. She shot that pulley during the Save the Bay case—and that was good shooting—but she didn't want to use the weapon on a person. This time—she took the weapon—didn't quibble or argue—and after subduing the suspect—she pointed it at him and used the threat to keep him quiet and compliant. Hopefully she will be able to do it again. I think she's finally passed that hurdle. God forbid the woman will ever have to shoot a suspect or—even worse—kill someone.'

'But she's Scarecrow's partner—and he uses his weapon more often than most agents. He's careful—he doesn't pull the weapon or use it unless it's necessary. He certainly doesn't go looking for opportunities to shoot or kill—and we've had more than a few of those around here so I'm an expert in the type. But he's aggressive, and he gets into these situations where he has to shoot more often than the average agent. So his partner had better be comfortable with weapons herself. She seemed to not have any problem with Stetson carrying or using his weapon. She just wasn't going to carry or shoot one herself.'

Billy felt a great wave of relief wash over him. 'She's done it once, and I know she'll be able to do it again. That's a big worry off my shoulders. I'll make sure she is scheduled for regular sessions on the range. Maybe I can get Scarecrow to help her—that would certainly help with her compliance. If he asks for the job—she'll do whatever it is. And eventually—we can issue her a weapon. We'll have to do something about storage—she won't allow a weapon at home—and I understand she wants to protect her boys. So I'll think about something else—but there's time. Right now—I'm just happy she was able to use a weapon to help subdue a suspect. She'll be a full agent yet—I'm doing my best to make it happen and this was a big step on the way for her.'

The Wrong Way Home December 2, 1985

Billy and his agents were gathered in the bullpen as he spoke to the Agency's man in Estoccia. After they had determined the name of the suspect and Lee had confirmed he was Amanda's ex-husband—Billy felt the need to remind Lee of his priorities in the case.

"No playing favorites on this one Scarecrow—if you have to use Amanda to find him—use her." He watched his agent's face closely as the man nodded. 'He's a bit overwhelmed at all the implications of this one. And there are way too many to allow anyone BUT him to deal with it. He knows Amanda best—and she will need all the support she can get. And Lee will also need support—so they can help each other deal with all of this—however it turns out.'

'I just hope the man is innocent and Scarecrow can prove it. Because if he's guilty—it would take a whole lot for me to be able to get Amanda into any agent training program. Hell—it would be difficult to keep her working as a Civilian Auxiliary. And I need her here—she's half of my best team and the best tape transcriber I have. Plus she's a good person and a genuine joy to have around. The place is a bit brighter on the days she's working.'

After The Wrong Way Home December 2, 1985

Billy was wrapping up the paperwork on the Byron Foster-EAO fraud case. 'It was close—Foster's man took Amanda's boys as hostages. At their school. I wonder if we need to have more security there? What am I saying?—I could never justify the expense for a Civilian Auxiliary.'

'Ironically—all this time she's been with us it took a threat from something her ex did to get their boys involved and in danger. People know she's connected—and she's been used to get to Scarecrow and the Agency—but her family has been left out of the equation up to now. Hopefully this will be the only time they are in danger like that. Dotty was in the hair salon that was trashed 18 months ago—but she never saw a thing. Thank God for hair dryers.'

'Now her ex is back in the states for the foreseeable future—he's vital to unraveling the fraud in EAO and he's a material witness in the Foster case—I wonder how that will change the dynamic between her and Scarecrow? I thought they might be moving closer—but with Joe King around—I think Stetson will back off. I hope not—she's not going to get back with the man—she's changed too much and gotten too far here to give all of it up.'

'Stetson looked so lost when he discovered the suspect was Joe King—Amanda's ex. Obviously he hasn't thought much about the man. And I would guess Amanda's not talked about him very much. It's almost like Stetson is insecure about where he stands with Amanda. That's a change! If he's so unsure about her—maybe he is in love with the woman. Because that's totally unlike the man and the way he's dealt with women in the past. 'Love 'em and leave 'em Lee'—that's what the steno pool called him. But he's acting like he cares a lot about how Amanda responds to him—which means he's thinking—even subconsciously—about a long-term relationship. He hasn't contemplated that since he was assigned to Angelo Spinelli in Milan. And that ended badly for him. She married someone else. I know he was in love with the woman—I could see it. And he was so closed-off and shut down when he returned to DC. It was sad, but there was nothing I could do—so I just watched and waited.'

'Being paired with Eric seemed to snap him out of it—and getting to know Lois and Bethy also helped. But then Eric was killed and he withdrew again. Thank God he finally picked Amanda King out of the crowd that October day. He's come a long way in the past two years—now he has to keep going. But that's not up to me—so once again I watch and wait and hope.'


	24. Chapter 24

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 24

Fast Food for Thought December 16, 1985

Billy Melrose sat in his office reviewing the reports from the Marvelous Marvin's case. 'Francine and Amanda were very lucky to not have been suffocated in that flash-freezer. It was a close thing—but close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades—so it ended well.'

He reviewed the expenses for the case—three hotel rooms. 'Lee and Amanda went in as brother and sister. That's unusual—for Lee and for both of them. Usually they do the married couple thing—and they do it very well. They have since the beginning. So why are they now posing as brother and sister? They don't even look alike—who would believe that anyhow?'

Billy was worried. 'Is Lee backing off because Joe King is back in the states? I know that case was a difficult one for him—Amanda did better about it than he did and it was her ex who was accused with the murder of the Estoccian Prime Minister. But that's certainly a black eye for us to have had the man in our facility and not one person recognized him. We've got to do better than that.' Billy shook his head at the collective oversight.

'Lee and Amanda were starting to get closer—I know something happened out in that swamp. He's toned down his extracurricular activities. He's coming in on time more—paying more attention to the job—more conscientious about the paperwork and details. But now they're going in as brother and sister. What is with that anyhow? Are they going to end the partnership? They're my best team—I can't have that partnership end.'

He sighed heavily. 'I can live with it if they become intimate—I could even deal with them getting married—though Stetson isn't the marrying type. But I don't want that partnership to end. All I can do is keep an eye out, and hope they work out whatever it is they're dealing with and get back on track.'

One Bear Dances, One Bear Doesn't January 6, 1986

Billy read through the reports on the Aero North case. 'We finally plugged that leak in our defector program. We haven't had good luck with them in the past year. First Margaret Brock, then this little fiasco. They certainly had a good setup. And we almost didn't catch them. Once again Amanda King—and her mother of all people—helped us close this one.'

He thought back to Amanda's debriefing—and contrasted it to her mother's and Dr. Zernoff's. Typically Amanda downplayed her part in their collective escape from the locked room. Dotty and Dr. Zernoff had been more emphatic—Amanda came in—took charge—devised a plan—and made it work. Billy grinned. 'She's finally coming into her own. She's decisive—she doesn't panic or waste energy worrying—she calmly assesses the situation—looks for weaknesses and devises a solid plan for escape making best use of the people and resources at hand. And—best of all—she used a weapon again. Without hesitation.' He was pleased. 'I think she's finally managed to overcome her reluctance about using a weapon. Once was good—but twice—and in the presence of her mother of all people—I think we can safely put that fear to bed.'

'Now all we have to do is insure her mother doesn't decide to follow her daughter into the intelligence community. Hopefully my warnings and cautions about her silence will stick. Dotty is like Amanda—but I don't think we all would survive the both of them. Amanda's finally acting like an agent—she is getting the job done—and is also confident and decisive in what she does and how she does it. She's fast becoming an equal to her partner. I have to get her into an agent training program. She's good—and she'd be a whole lot better with all the proper training. She needs those gaps in her knowledge and skills filled in with solid training. She's learned a lot—and Scarecrow has taught her well—but she needs the whole course. It's up to me, and I'll do my damndest for her—my best team deserves no less.'

After Playing for Keeps January 13, 1986

Billy was at his desk when a knock sounded on his door.

"Come."

"Billy—I need to talk to you." It was Francine.

"Go ahead." Billy waved her to a chair.

Francine sat. "I know I asked to go to the Shenandoah with Lee to watch out for Tina Thomerson—but I don't want to work with Lee Stetson ever again unless there's no other agent available on the face of the planet."

Billy was a bit surprised at this—but kept his face impassive. "I see. Was he difficult?"

"He was a pain—he was on the phone all the time. Every time I turned around—he was back on the phone talking to her. I swear—why didn't she just come along and work the case with him? She had him paged a couple of times—I heard it on the PA—but he called her several times himself. She has him absolutely under her thumb. He can hardly turn around without talking to her about it. Maybe he's been replaced by a double—because the Scarecrow I used to know would never go for anything like that." She sat back in a huff.

Billy was somewhat surprised—but again he didn't let it show. "Did his phone calls pertain to the case?"

Francine sent him a look that spoke volumes. "When he wasn't apologizing to her and lying about the amenities—unfortunately yes."

"Unfortunately?" Billy was intrigued and shamelessly prodded his assistant for more.

"She managed to solve the case—but you were there—you know she figured Tina was the target all along."

"And we're lucky she did—if Donna Clayton had managed to get that missile off from the ultra-light—even if she didn't hit Tina—it would have been a public relations fiasco."

"Well, OK. But he didn't even want to…" She seemed to catch herself and ran down.

"Want to what—Desmond?"

"Ah—well—you know how it is—you were in the field Billy—he wouldn't even stay after the case to enjoy the amenities. He immediately ran off to nursemaid his happy homemaker."

"Francine—you know Amanda. She must have been very ill indeed to have refused an assignment. Scarecrow was just worried about his partner. He wanted to make sure she'd be OK." He was having fun with this one. He wondered just which amenities Francine had been planning on enjoying. He thought the affair between her and Stetson had been over a long time ago. Hopefully the woman had given up on him—but you never knew.

Francine snorted. "That woman could survive dengue fever and bounce back baking cakes or waxing the floor. Maybe both—simultaneously."

'So that's the way it is—Francine's jealous of Amanda.' Billy adopted his stern face. "Mrs. King is a good employee—she doesn't complain—she cheerfully tackles whatever assignment I give her and is always eager to help out. I wish I had more employees like her around here. She doesn't spend her time gossiping about other employees, either." Billy stared pointedly at Francine.

"So she's got you wrapped around her little finger, too." Francine was not fazed. "Well, if I was in charge—she'd not be around so much."

"If you were in charge—you'd revise that assessment pretty quickly. She's a whiz at the paperwork—and amazing at transcribing tapes. And she keeps Scarecrow in line—something you didn't manage to do when you requested the assignment a couple years ago—if I remember correctly. In fact—I remember you asked to never be partnered with him again."

"That time was different—he was just such a bas—" She caught herself. "Well, so difficult."

Billy nodded. "I know. He excelled at making enemies with anyone I tried to partner him with. That's why when Amanda came along and seemed to want to work with the man—despite his temperament—I jumped at the chance. And you can't deny—the partnership has worked. They're our best team—look at their solve rate!"

"I know, I know. It's just sad that Scarecrow is so—" She cast around for a word to politely describe what she was thinking. "so slavishly devoted to her. You'd think they were married the way he acted toward her this week." She shook her head in sorrow.

"Did he say anything to you about it?" Billy was fishing for information, now.

"He said something about getting used to working with certain people—getting used to their habits and patterns—I wasn't fooled. She's ruined him. He can't operate on his own anymore. He needs mama's apron strings to hold on to. It's disgusting. He used to be a great agent."

"He still is a great agent—in a great partnership. And don't you forget it. Now if you don't have anything useful to talk about—I have work to do here." He brusquely dismissed her. "And I think you have a report to write?" He looked pointedly at her, encouraging her quick retreat.

"Fine, Billy. You'll have it on your desk by the end of the day." She retreated in a flurry of wounded professionalism.

Once the door shut, Billy allowed himself a quiet laugh. 'You're so jealous of Amanda King, you're allowing that to color your judgment about both of them. They're a great team—and I'll do whatever I can to keep them together as long as they keep up the good work. Even separated—Amanda's an asset I'd be sorry to lose. I guess you didn't learn your lesson when I went off on my own a couple months back. You did pretty well—but you managed to make some mistakes that made life difficult for a while. If you want this job when I retire—you'd better start appreciating the 'little people' who can help out with the routine paperwork. Because it's the little stuff that will kill you in this job. Managing the people is a snap compared to learning the correct forms for ordering supplies and authorizing overtime above the allocated levels.'

Billy bent back to his pile of paperwork. 'Francine—you still have a lot to learn—and I hope you can learn it before it hits you in the face and you're buried without a friend to help.'


	25. Chapter 25

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 25

The Pharaoh's Engineer January 27, 1986

Billy was re-reading his recommendation in connection to the Code Pyramid case.

"And in conclusion—I would recommend that need-to-know be re-evaluated on files older than 20 years. If we had been able to discover what Pyramid was early into the case—we would not have suffered the physical breach of security and possible deaths of everyone in the building. Delineating a decision chain and formulating a new policy of allowing information and access to old cases, as well as allowing principles to discuss old cases without violating their security oath, might avert a similar situation in the future."

He signed his name to the sheets and tossed them into the box marked upstairs.

He sat back and sighed heavily. 'Like I think that will actually go anywhere. At least we discovered atropine is an effective antidote to GS gas. Hell of a way to find that out, though. We're all damned lucky it did work. And Scarecrow is luckiest of all. Or maybe it's Amanda that's lucky. Maybe it's the two of them together. They've had so many tight escapes over the last couple years.'

'We have to keep closer watch on old contractors. If someone had been watching Blue Star Insurance—we might have found out about this plan earlier than we did. Thank heavens for Rupert—and Amanda. We also have to keep a closer eye on our people at Birchwood. Even though those people are out of the game—they still have valuable information that can be exploited.'

'At least Amanda had the patience and determination to keep getting information from poor drugged Rupert. Her people skills have once again saved her partner and the Agency.'

'I have to go over the Agency's emergency evacuation plan. It took way too long to get everyone out once the alarm sounded. We need to start having regular drills again. It may be a disruption of work—but yesterday proved we need to do it because when the real thing comes along—we need to be ready. Maybe I can go over all the emergency drill plans. Devise a few interesting new scenarios for people to work on. We have to keep on our toes—because the bad guys never stop coming at us. And we have to be ready for whatever they throw at us.'

The Triumvirate February 10, 1986

Another black mark for the Agency. Wet operations being conducted from within the Agency. They were supposed to protect people from that type of thing—not initiate it. Sure people managed to slip through the cracks—agents had to be traded—that's how the game was played—but for the most part the system worked. And if they didn't trust the system—then all hell would break loose.

Billy marveled at Amanda King's luck once again. 'A simple data entry error brought down three of our own. And she's honest enough to bring it to our attention. Again—she also mentioned that $50,000 Margaret Brock placed in her account immediately after the case was closed. That's integrity. Why can't we have more people like that working here?'

'Damn shame we had to make a deal with Jepperd to rescue her, but he won't get far. I never agreed to not have him tracked. As soon as he leaves the country—with his $100,000—he'll be on the radar of every agent we have. The first time he tries anything—we'll have him dead to rights. And maybe he'll die after all. He's still touch and go. He just wanted to bust our chops and prove he's tougher than we are.'

'It's worth far more than $100,000 for me to have my best team intact and field capable. They've managed to do some amazing work in the past two years—and hopefully they have a lot more years in them as a team. They're closer than ever. I saw that hug after Amanda was rescued. They may chalk it up to relief and friendship—but I think there may be more there. Still—as long as they clear the cases and stay alive and healthy—it isn't my business unless they rub my nose in it. And they are both too careful and discreet to do something dumb like that, aren't they? I certainly hope so. For all our sakes.'

The Eyes Have It February 17, 1986

Billy was talking to Lee in his hospital room, and planning their strategy for catching Dr. Goldberg in the act of passing the contact lenses to Brody.

"Billy, if I died—he'd know he succeeded and then he'd be free to sell the lenses." Lee was enthusiastic about nabbing the doctor who had tried to kill him.

"Yes, that might work. We can certainly use the NEST team to help stage something like that."

"Yeah—we could ask them what would look realistic—for me to die from."

Billy nodded. "Should I call someone in to ask about it?"

"Not quite yet—we also have one more factor to deal with."

"What's that?"

"Amanda."

"Yes, your partner."

"Billy—she has to be in on this one. We can't put her through that—thinking I'm dead again. She was pretty broken up that first time." Lee sounded remorseful about it.

"That was two years ago—are you telling me she still dwells on it?"

"I don't know about that—but she was really broken up at the time—and now..." Lee trailed off—seemingly embarrassed to be admitting he was aware of the depth of her feelings for him—or maybe his sensitivity to her feelings.

Billy decided to let Lee off the hook. "I agree. I'll brief her beforehand, and let her know what we're planning. And if she's there when you 'die', her reaction will help sell it to Goldberg as well."

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Billy. She can really help. She is emotional—and her reaction will be pretty strong—even if she knows it's not real." Lee's fast acceptance of the plan masked his strong relief.

Billy wasn't fooled. He knew the man would have argued loud and long to make sure she wasn't taken in again. 'It seems our Scarecrow has come to appreciate her viewpoint and is more sensitive to her feelings that he might like to admit. I wonder how much he has come to care for her? Past his protectiveness and survivor's guilt—I think the man has developed real feelings for his partner. They're fast friends—we all know that—but could he have come to love the woman? She's in love with him—anyone with a lick of sense can see it. But she also knows he's out of her league. Not that she'd turn him down if he decided to pursue a romantic relationship... The question is—does he realize it, and is he interested?' Billy responded to the agent. "OK, I'll go find one of the NEST team and have them come in here. We can plan strategy, and then I'll hunt down Mrs. King and brief her on what's going to go down. Then we can get our people in place, and stage your death."

"Sounds like a plan, Billy."

Before Wrong Number March 3, 1986

"Come in, Amanda." Billy smiled as Scarecrow's partner entered his office.

"Good morning, sir." Amanda sat after Billy's waved to the chair.

"Amanda—I have an assignment for you."

"For me? Another courier assignment?" She sounded eager.

"Not this time—though I am pleased with your performance there lately."

"Thank you sir. I'm pretty happy they've all gone well, too. No more phoney 20 dollar bills."

Both chuckled. Billy hefted a pile of dossiers and handed them to Amanda. "One of the jobs of the Agency is to check security clearances of people whose work might have an impact on national security. Most agents think its grunt work—but sometimes these clearances uncover things that we need to know about. So I have here a group of people who need their clearances checked. You can use the Q Bureau to do your work—Lee will be in and out for the next week or so—and you two don't have any cases pending—so you will have the privacy and computer access to do the work."

"I see. What do I need to do here?"

"The first file contains the form and guidelines we use to conduct the searches. And it contains a couple of sample reports so you can see what they should look like when completed. Most of it is routine and clear-cut—but there are some areas where careful judgment is required. That's where your instincts come into play. You are good with people—and part of the procedure is a personal interview with the subject—sometimes more than one. I'm counting on you to get the most out of each subject interview—and for you to use your instincts in evaluating their clearance rating."

"Wow! It sounds like an important job." Amanda was impressed.

"It is important. Like I said—most agents think its busy work—but a wrong security rating could cause disaster down the road. With these ratings we determine who needs to be watched, and who is trustworthy. It also gives us a personal handle on these people—just in case something comes up in the future—we have already had contact with them and gotten some sort of baseline to work from."

"I see."

"You'll have a week—more if you need it. Start by studying the samples, and work from there. If you come up against any security walls or have any questions—feel free to ask me about it. Or Scarecrow can also give you advise—he's done his share of these over the years. Technically you'll be under his supervision. He knows about this, but I hope you'll do these on your own as much as you can."

"How did Lee do with these?" Amanda asked with a smile.

Billy smiled ruefully in return. "Let's just say, I prefer assigning this to you—I think they'll get done more quickly and with a lot less fuss."

She looked through the top file. "Sir—this indicates I should do a practice evaluation—could I evaluate Lee? Just for practice, of course." There was a twinkle in her eye as she asked.

"Of course—but be fair. No fudging the scores out of loyalty to your partner. Even Scarecrow has his flaws and weaknesses." Billy replied with a smile and a twinkle of his own.

"Oh no sir—I'd never do that. I'll be fair about Lee. But it will be fun even so."

"Well—if you have no more questions…"

"Thank you sir—I appreciate the trust you have in me to assign me to this important job. I'll do my best, you can count on it."

"You always do Amanda, you always do."

After Amanda left Billy mused on his real reason for assigning her the task. 'If she manages to successfully complete these evaluations—that's another skill she'll have mastered. And hopefully she'll need to access some higher-level documents and databases for the task—so I can temporarily elevate her clearance for the project. If she proves as good at this as I expect her to be—she's one more step along the way to being a full-fledged agent. All I need is to get her into the training course. Of course—I'm feeding it to her bit by bit. So when she does actually take the course—she'll pass with flying colors because little will be new or unfamiliar to her. She's a whiz at the paperwork and she's great with people—so how could it go wrong?'


	26. Chapter 26

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 26

Wrong Number March 3, 1986

Billy was back in his office while the others had a welcome home celebration for Francine—after he had chewed her out for going undercover without authorization or notification. It sure felt good to have gotten the best of Gregory again. The man's arrogance galled him. He was familiar and comfortable! Nobody should get familiar or comfortable with the other side.

He had to credit Gregory with a masterful plan. They wanted Towne—and they went to a lot of trouble setting him up. They spent months doing it with the condo and the double, Popovich/Wally Tuttle. Apparently the milk run Abernathy had been scheduled to go on had been compromised. And unluckily for her—Francine had fallen into the trap. 'For once it wasn't Amanda who got into trouble—maybe her 'luck' is catching and Francine got a dose of it. That'll teach her to do 'favors' without approval. And suddenly Gregory had a whole lot more to trade for. That was his luck, though we would have traded for Abernathy also. As it is, now we have to yank him and put someone new in there. Damn—this is getting to be a bigger pain than we had anticipated.'

'Still—Amanda was able to prove they were setting Towne up with a double. I'm amazed those two still fight like that. Partners for well over two years and they still can go at it pretty hard—and in front of me—like they didn't have a care in the world. They haven't had that big a fight in quite a while—correction—that big a fight that anyone's witnessed. I guess giving Scarecrow the Q Bureau has bought us all a measure of peace and quiet. But once she proved Towne was genuine and it was a setup—Scarecrow backed down and actually credited her as the agent of record. That's a big admission on his part. It took him over a year to admit she was his partner—now he's admitting she's the equal of any agent.'

'I think this is the last we'll see of Gregory. Even those videotapes won't save him this time. Once he gets out of the Lubyanka—if he ever gets out—he'll probably end up in Finland or some other 'glamor' assignment. He won't see DC again—at least in any official capacity. It sure feels good after all the defection fiascos to score a big one for our side. Not that it will stop them. They'll just send someone else, and the game will begin again. That's what we all signed up for—so we just keep on doing the job.'

The Boy Who Could be King March 10, 1986

Billy played with King Eddie and his band. It was good to get back in the saddle again. He realized he missed playing his sax. But the life of a musician was not one a married man with a family could easily pursue. And he'd been Billy Blue Note only in conjunction with his undercover work at the Agency—and he was long past his field work days. No, he realized it was a fun vacation—but he was an administrator—and a damned good one—and that was where his skills and future lay. That until retirement—which was probably closer than he cared to think about.

He relaxed into the easy give-and-take of the music and studied the crowd. Playing backup allowed him the luxury of observing the audience. You could learn a lot by watching an audience. And one thing he was learning was that Lee Stetson and Amanda King were in love. With each other. Just the way they sat together while they listened to the music spoke volumes. 'Who do those two think they're fooling? Probably only themselves.'

'It's strange—Scarecrow is my top agent—they're my top team and yet they're totally oblivious to what's right under their noses. Amanda has been in love with the man for a long time—maybe from the start. Stetson has been strongly drawn to her—even when he was still fighting working with her—his protectiveness over her spoke volumes. And the way he allowed her to manage him. He might not have known consciously—but underneath—if he'd truly objected he'd have gotten rid of her right at the start.'

'But he didn't. When he committed treason to rescue her—I knew then it was too late. How they managed to develop deep and binding ties in such a short time is beyond me. I guess that's why people talk about soul mates. I always thought it was malarkey—but look at them. They are the perfect picture of two people in love. Now if he'd only make a move… She is waiting for him to make the move.' Billy was hit by a revelation. 'Maybe that's what happened out in that swamp. He made some sort of a move—and he finally realized there was something between them.'

Billy continued to play. 'I guess it's only a matter of time now. Good. Scarecrow needs something a bit more normal and stable in his life, and Amanda King is both. Hopefully they will confide in me so I can help run interference with Symth. I'm not above bending—or even breaking—the rules if it benefits my unit and the Agency as a whole. And those two are my best team—and well worth keeping for the long hall.'

Dead Men Leave No Trails March 31, 1986

Billy returned to his office with a smile on his face, after assigning Scarecrow to the orientation lecture. 'I shouldn't enjoy this so much—but it will be good to have the man deal with those hotshot new agents. They're all done with training and think they know everything. Not unlike someone else around here. Scarecrow is my best agent—half of my best team—and he has over a decade of experience in the field—but sometimes even he has to admit he needs to learn something new.'

'I know he'll get Amanda to write the speech for him—and that's fine with me. That way she'll be reviewing the material and so she's getting the information in a back-door manner. If she was in the training program—she'd get it. But she isn't and she needs this information. So once again—I can manage to get it to her in unorthodox ways. It sure keeps me on my toes.'

'I do wish I could be there to watch him give the talk. He should have an interesting time with the questions. Jack Sowaski says he always gets at least one he's never heard before and that it throws him. It will be good for Scarecrow to have to be on his toes. It's a different situation for him—and he needs change and new things. The man doesn't operate well if he's in a rut. Some agents thrive on routine—but not Scarecrow. He's finally used to and comfortable with his partner—so he needs new things to occupy his mind. Otherwise he'll find something himself—and I don't want that.'

After Dead Men Leave No Trails March 31, 1986

Billy read the reports on the Sallee case. 'We got very lucky on this one. And to think I almost pulled Amanda off Millicent's murder. She got a lot of good information from that diary—a lot more than our people in crypto could. They were looking for codes—but maybe we need to broaden their scope. The way she used it to make the zones and routes—she was able to pinpoint Sallee's job within a few blocks in all of DC. That's amazing detective work.'

'And we need to broaden our scope in our security operations. The janitorial staff was not checked out because they were privately contracted—and we assumed because they wouldn't be in the room with the dignitaries—they didn't need background checks. That changes now. It will mean more work—but after this near-disaster—I think we'll manage to get the additional funding. Something about almost losing the Vice-President does tend to get the necessary attention.'

'Poor Francine—she did everything by the book—and more. I can't fault her work—she's a consummate professional and always delivers. But it was Amanda who spotted the light bulbs. We'll have to devise some sort of test for that sort of thing. I'll get Leatherneck on it—maybe he can come up with something.'

'At least we have a body—and can definitely say Sallee is dead. That's the thing with big explosions. What you have left won't fit in a teaspoon, if you can manage to find it. So how do you decide if the guy is dead? Usually we're right—but this time—we blew it big time. And for the last two years Sallee has operated with impunity because we thought he was dead. Now he is—and we have the body—so we can finally close the book on him.'

Three Little Spies April 7, 1986

Billy was at his desk making a final check of the arrangements for the task force the Agency was putting into effect. 'Finding those nuclear detonators is a top priority. I don't like the idea of making my people work with agents from the other sides—but the President has issued an order—so I have to follow it.'

'Scarecrow is a great agent—and if anyone can get to the bottom of this he can—but he's locked horns with Petrovich more than once—and he'll feel competitive. We don't need competition on this one—we need cooperation. And Scarecrow isn't big on cooperation.'

Billy went out of his office and poured himself another cup of coffee. He surveyed the people in the bullpen, mentally cataloguing their skills and abilities. Once he was back at his desk—he resumed his thoughts.

'I need someone with the man who will help keep him on track and calm.' He shook his head. 'Why do I even worry about it?—I'll send Amanda. The way she can manage him is amazing. And she's a natural peacemaker. I hope she's up for this assignment—because it's an international disaster if they fail.' He sighed. 'I'm putting a lot on her shoulders. Maintaining world peace, and making sure a nuclear war doesn't break out. We know Pakistan has been trying to get the bomb—maybe for decades—but we had no idea they were at the stage where they could use detonators. Or maybe they're just taking advantage of the situation and salting them away for the future. We need to get a few more people in that area of the world to nose about. I'll make a note to check who has good contacts there—because this blindsided us—and we're not supposed to be blindsided –ever.'

'Whatever it is—we don't need this. India is sure to want to get in on the game if we don't work quickly. So we go with what we have—three Agents—one from Russia, one from China and Scarecrow. And now Amanda—if anyone can manage those people—it's her. Thank God we have someone like her we can use. This might be her most important assignment yet.'

After Three Little Spies April 7, 1986

Billy was taking extra care with the report on the Food for Flight case. He knew this report was going to be reviewed at the highest level—the president himself. He made special care that the summaries from his people were as professional and dispassionate as possible. He included the briefs that Petrovich and Chang had sent. No doubt those had been thoroughly sanitized before being released to him.

But he also made sure that credit was given where it was due. Scarecrow was a great agent—and his part was fairly obvious. That of his partner was less so. Amanda's skills in managing her partner—her natural peacekeeping skills and her good morale and upbeat nature—all had contributed to keep things running smoothly—keeping the agents from competing or fighting—and allowed the group to work smoothly together and find the detonators. But how do you illustrate that without pointing out the obvious flaws built into this operation? He knew the President had no choice in allowing the Russian and Chinese agents a part in the case. Once he had shared the information about the stolen detonators—he had to allow their participation as a peacekeeping gesture. It was the US's fault that the detonators had been stolen—so they had to take a hit for that.

Amanda's presence—and probably also Nadine and Zhin Shan—had helped as well. It was funny—each country had agreed to send only one agent—and an assistant. Zhin Shan was a Colonel in the Chinese military and therefore not an agent—but she was Chang's superior. That was not the type of 'assistant' they had meant. Nadine's status was less clear—but it was obvious that Amanda King—as a 'mere' civilian auxiliary—was the lowest ranked person on the team—and she may have had the greatest influence in solving the case. He could relate how her charity work made her a natural for infiltrating the group and discovering Pam Jentry's influence and her changes to Randall Skyler's plans. And she had seen Petrovich plant his bomb—that would have been difficult if that had gone off. It probably would have alerted Jentry that they were being watched—and then the whole case would have been blown.

Yes, Amanda made several concrete contributions to the case. Not to mention saving the Vice-President the week before. Might as well include that as well. And if Billy managed to subtly emphasize her contributions on this case—and maybe hint at the other skills she had—it would only help with Smyth in granting her agent training—despite her failing Station One.


	27. Chapter 27

Billy's Case Files

by Ermintrude

See part one for disclaimers

Part 27

Before All the World's the Stage May 12, 1986

Leatherneck was in his 'office'—the lab/workroom the Agency provided him for his gadgets and creations. He was working on a new formulation for his chewing gum—this one included a painkiller, but he was having trouble making it taste like anything palatable. "Maybe if I use roast beef or a similar flavor…" He muttered to himself as he pondered the different flavors available to him.

"You could try pizza with all the toppings." Billy said in response to Leatherneck's musings.

"Hey, Billy—what brings you down here?" Leatherneck wrote a note on a pad and turned to face the section leader.

"I'm here to ask a favor. An unofficial favor."

Leatherneck nodded and leaned back against the table. "OK, I'm listening."

"I would greatly appreciate it if you were able to make time to manage to teach our entry and escape course to an employee in my unit."

"That's Beaman's territory. He's in charge of the freshman agents." Leatherneck replied in a slow drawl.

"I know—but this employee isn't a freshman agent—yet."

Leatherneck nodded. "I'd be happy to teach Mrs. King—and hell—you don't even need to cash in a favor. She's a great lady and a quick learner."

Billy looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Leatherneck chuckled. "Hell, Billy—everyone knows you're bucking to get her accepted as a freshmen agent candidate."

"Everyone?" Billy asked a bit bleakly.

"OK, not everyone." Billy looked quizzical. "OK, not many people at all." Billy looked intrigued. "OK, maybe just me and a couple other people—and not Francine."

Billy laughed. "I know all about Francine and Mrs. King—and you'd be surprised—she actually has credited Mrs. King a few times."

Leatherneck laughed. "That must have hurt."

"If it isn't compromising a source—who besides you has figured out what I'm doing?"

Leatherneck paused with an enigmatic look on his face. Then he seemed to make up his mind. "Just me and Ace—her partner. We go out drinking every so often, and the subject always comes up."

"What does Scarecrow know?"

"Well I wouldn't say he actually knows anything—but he's always figured you were the one that made sure she stuck around and kept working in your unit. A couple years ago he was pretty steamed about it. Then last year he asked me to work with her on the firing range—that was before you asked."

"I see. What else has he asked you to help her out with?" Billy was intrigued.

"He's had me check her out with ropes and knots—she's good. That Junior Trailblazer's course is pretty thorough. I just gave her a few pointers about getting out, and a few new uses for some of the knots she already knew." Billy nodded. "Then he was going to have me show her orienteering and mapwork—but after their escapade in that swamp—he told me it wasn't necessary. He sounded a bit exasperated about it. I figured she got the best of him during that one." He replied with a broad smile.

"Yes—her Junior Trailbalzer's map was more complete than the Agency issue maps."

"Yeah—I've ordered a full set—that's a resource we need."

"Good man. This time I need you to teach her entry and escape. She's managed to get out of handcuffs a few times already—I think she'll be a quick study."

"It should be easy. Not like the firing range."

"Fortunately, she's managed to overcome that particular problem. She's used a weapon in the field more than once—so I expect she will continue to do so. And Scarecrow has started taking her along every month when he qualifies. He tells me she's accurate at close range—she just doesn't like shooting at human targets." Billy shook his head sadly.

"Nobody likes shooting people—unless it's the bad guys." Leatherneck grinned.

"Can you teach her—but keep it under the radar? I don't want this gaining the attention of the higher-ups."

"You mean Smyth. Yeah—I'll do it up in that office of theirs. I have a box of practice stuff I can leave up there for her to practice on. Do you want me to 'find' her a set of lockpicks?"

"Can you keep it off the official inventory?"

"Hey—you wound me to the core! I wouldn't be worth my salt if I couldn't manage something like that. Sometimes I think half of my inventory is out on 'unofficial' loan."

Billy smiled. "Just so the equipment is available when we really need it."

"Let's just say I have a 'rainy day' stash that I draw on from time to time. And I manage to salvage quite a bit from old evidence that's no longer needed. Cleanout day is treasure day for me. Kind of like an Agency garage sale."

Billy nodded. "Oh, and by the way—we never had this conversation."

"Whatever you say. I know how to keep a secret or two. I'll look up Mrs. King and see if I can set up a schedule—irregular of course."

"Thanks—I owe you."

"Like I said—you don't owe me a thing. Any time spent with Mrs. King is a good time."

"Just don't get any ideas man—or you'll end up in a world of hurt."

"I hear you—but there are more ways to skin a cat…" At Billy's stern look he ran down. Then he nodded. "OK—teach her—and nothing else. I get it."

"Let me know when she's proficient. Make it verbal—I don't want a paper trail on this."

"You never do with these things. Do you think she'll make agent?"

"I hope so—she's partnered with Scarecrow and operating like an agent in the field. Why the brass don't realize that…" Billy caught himself. "But that's my worry. Thanks—and I still owe you." He waved and smiled on his way out.

All the World's a Stage May 12, 1986

Billy was at the door to the Q Bureau. He had just heard the lock engage—and through the door he heard Scarecrow's voice—very low. "No—not this time."

He knocked, and tried the door—but he knew he'd not get a response. When Francine came by—he knew he needed to divert her—so he made his way back downstairs to his office.

His mind was still upstairs in the Q Bureau. 'Good for you Scarecrow—you finally decided to make a move. You two have been dancing around each other since you returned from that swamp. I had hoped that little trip to California might prompt something—but I guess you're too cautious to try anything when you're on a case. Or even wrapping up a case. On second thought—being in a plane with four enemy agents is not the time or place to pursue any romance.'

'So now I have to be on the alert for any rumors about those two dating. There are a few rumors as it is—Scarecrow has stopped his extracurricular activities—and the logical assumption is that he's dating his partner. But up to now—it's been just a rumor, with no truth behind it. Now there's going to be something behind it—and I sincerely hope those two are discreet and careful. I don't want anything that can be traced back in an investigation.'

'Scarecrow has just had his annual background check, Mrs. King too—so they have almost a full year before they're up for the routine check again. Unless something happens or they screw something up—they can date and not worry about Agency surveillance. I'll do my best to extend that timeline a bit. They deserve whatever they can manage for themselves. I hope it works out—if they end up breaking up—that might be a sticky situation—but they're adults and professionals. They're also partners—so I think things will progress well. Good luck you two—you'll need it.'

June 8, 1986

Billy read the message Amanda sent from Bern, at the conclusion of her latest courier assignment.

"Packages successfully delivered to associates in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin and Bern. Boarding plane bound for home."

Billy smiled. Another courier job successfully executed by Amanda King. 'I knew she had it in her. It just took a while for her to become comfortable with the idea. This is the sixth assignment she's successfully completed since the Chamberlain case. All she needed was someone to believe in her abilities. She's advanced so much in this past year. She's overcome her reluctance to use a weapon—she's become confident and decisive—and she rambles a lot less than she used to. Unless she's nervous or trying to distract a suspect. And she can successfully execute a mid- to high-level courier assignment flawlessly. Finally.'

'Now all I need to do is to get her into the agent candidate training program—because she's operating like a full agent as it is—she has from the beginning—but now she has the confidence, knowledge and skills to back it up. We're all lucky she's managed to survive this long—but as she has—I'll bet she'll survive almost anything. She's a lifer for sure—and that's good for me, for Scarecrow and for the Agency.'

June 28, 1986

"Billy do you have a minute?" Francine poked her head in the door of his office.

"Sure Francine—come on in."

She settled herself on the chair and looked a bit uncomfortable. Billy waited. And waited. Finally he decided to break the ice.

"You asked for a minute—I presume you have something to say to me." He smiled pleasantly—whatever it was—a nervous Francine promised something interesting.

"Billy—I know what you're doing." She said in a rush.

"Can you give me a clue as to the topic of this conversation?"

"Amanda."

"Amanda?"

"Yes, Amanda. I know you're trying to get her agent training without Smyth catching on."

"What makes you think this?"

"I've been watching—you have Leatherneck up there all the time—first it was the training with weapons—then it was the ropes and knots—then it was the entry and escape course. You're having him train her. I'll admit—you're being very sneaky about it. If I wasn't paying such close attention to those two..."

"I see." Billy waited but Francine wasn't going to say anything more. "What do you plan to do about it—if your allegation is true?"

She took a big breath, then let it out. It seemed she was coming to a decision. "She needs more—she needs some sort of self-defense training."

Billy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was unexpected. "What do you propose?"

"Um well—I could take her to my local gym—give her a few pointers…" Francine refused to meet his eyes.

"And just why are you making this offer, Francine? You aren't one of Mrs. King's greatest fans."

"I know. But the woman needs to have some of the basic skills. I mean—she's fine if there's a baseball bat or a lamp available…"

"Or a vase." Billy added reminding Francine of the time Amanda knocked her out with a vase in Lee's apartment.

"Yeah—whatever." Francine sounded irritated. "Look—the woman is out there day in and day out—tagging along after Scarecrow and I think she needs to have some self-defense skills. Before she gets herself or her partner—or the both of them—killed."

"I see." Billy sat back and pretended to think over Francine's offer. 'I'd better be careful driving home tonight because I think pigs just grew wings. Francine is offering to teach Amanda King self-defense. I'd be a fool to pass this offer by. I'd thought about using Leatherneck—but Francine is perfect. First—because she's a woman and it will be easier for Amanda to start—and second because she can alert Amanda to all the problems—and advantages—a woman has in fighting. I'd thought she'd be against this little program I've devised—but it seems Amanda King has managed to bring even Francine Desmond over to her side. And if she needs more—I can move her up to working with Leatherneck later.' He nodded and replied. "Very well—talk to her and arrange a schedule. I'll make sure you're compensated for your time—unofficially of course."

"Of course. And we'll just keep this between ourselves, right?"

"Right—we never had this conversation."

"I'll deny it—even under torture." She stood and moved toward the door.

"Francine—" Billy said as she left. "Thank you—I appreciate this and won't forget it."

The woman just nodded shortly and left quickly.

Billy sat back and smiled broadly. 'That solves a big problem for me. And I'm still in shock. Francine—offering to help train Amanda King. It's taken almost three years—but she finally accepts that Mrs. King is Scarecrow's partner. For real and permanent. Maybe I can get her fully trained without Smyth's stamp of approval.' He sighed. 'Well—anything she can get will help—so thank you God—I don't know what you did to Francine—but thank you just the same.'

August 23, 1986

"Melrose here." Billy answered his phone.

"Hey Billy, I have a bit of a heads up for you."

"Jenkins—it's been a while since you called me." Billy was wary.

"Yeah—the CIA doesn't have many dealings with you Agency types. And this is more of a courtesy call than anything."

"I wasn't aware the CIA was big on courtesy—especially toward 'rival' agencies."

"Your counterpart here may be a barracuda—but we know each other—we're on the same side against the bad guys."

Billy chuckled. "It's good to hear one of you Langley types actually admit that. So what's up? Lay it on me."

"You've got an agent—Stetson—codename Scarecrow."

Billy cringed inwardly. It wouldn't be the first time that Lee was stepping on jurisdictional toes. "Yes."

"At first I didn't think anything of it—but the requests are continuing and now he's asking for everything about two of our people. Pictures—documents—cases—everything. It's becoming obvious."

"Who is he making inquiries about?"

"Matthew Stetson and Jennifer Hamilton Stetson."

Billy was rocked. Lee's parents. Why would he be asking for information about them? And now, after all this time? "I see. Has anyone else noticed?"

"Not yet."

Billy nodded slowly. "Can you accommodate his requests?"

"Under the Freedom of Information Act—sure. It's all old stuff. They died over 30 years ago. But it's a lot of stuff. I just thought you'd like to know in case he is on to something."

"What do you mean?"

"They died under a cloud—suspected of treason. An investigation was starting—but then they were killed in a car crash and it all died down. End of story—closed case—dead end."

"Thanks for letting me know. Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends." Jenkins was guarded.

"Would you copy me everything Stetson is getting? Under the table?"

"That I can do. Expect a big packet—eyes only."

"Thanks, I owe you."

"Just keep a rein on your man. I don't want him to come barging in here half-cocked."

"I'll keep an eye on him. As far as I know these requests are not connected to any case he's working on."

"Sure Billy. Keep your head down."

"You too, Jenkins. We've gotta meet somewhere for a beer and steaks."

"Yeah—just as soon as we have any free time. Take care, Billy."

"You too." Billy hung up the phone. 'Lee is investigating his parents. I knew they were CIA—but Lee may not know about his mother's involvement. Well—he will now. And how will it affect him? But more importantly—why the interest now? He's had years to look into this—why has he waited until now? Could it be Amanda? If they're dating—she's gotta be asking questions about his parents. I wonder how much he remembers of them. He was 5 when they were killed. It had to have been rough.'

'Now I know—so all I can do is be aware and watch out for the man. Hopefully it won't affect him too deeply. What am I saying?—this will open up a whole can of worms. This time I have to rely on Amanda to keep him on track and in control. Otherwise—things could get hairy.'

'It will take a while for all this to filter through the chain of bureaucracy—it will be at least a month until it starts arriving. So I have a breather. Things should stay calm between now and then. So I'll just bide my time and hope he can handle whatever he finds out. And if he can't—Amanda will be there to pick up the pieces.'


	28. Chapter 28

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 28

Stemwinder part 1 September 19, 1986

Billy was in a large meeting room in the pentagon. Dr. Quidd, the Agency's psychological analyst was sitting next to him, and he knew Dr. Smyth was there also—probably sitting in the back—in the shadows as he liked to do.

Phillip Dart was outlining SIOP—the Single Integrated Operation Plan—the overall framework for the upcoming Stemwinder war games. Usually Billy had little concern for war games—but this time the President wanted the Soviets to have a covert look at part of the operations. There were upcoming peace talks and the President wanted a bargaining chip—without letting the Soviets know he had a bargaining chip.

So the Agency was an integral part of the games—in the planning stage. The actual exercises were still several weeks away—but Billy's team would be active beforehand. Several Soviet agents had been chosen to possibly act as carrier pigeons for the release of a few select frequencies by which the Soviets could monitor the progress of the war games. That way they would be fully informed about the US's defensive capability without knowing they had been allowed to get that information.

Billy wasn't altogether pleased about the plan—he understood the Russians—he'd worked against—and with them—for most of his career. They rarely appreciated or believed anything they were just handed on a silver platter. Before they could have used Harry to leak the information—but since Gregory had been put away last year—using Harry as a triple agent was deemed too dangerous and possibly compromised. Who knew who Gregory had been able to convince of Harry's duplicity?

So they had to cultivate a new source—or several. Billy knew better than to trust these things to one source alone. Rostov was the new KGB station chief—Gregory's successor. An old-line by-the-book kind of guy. Billy was well aware of the man's skills and abilities. He would be a worthy opponent—but Billy couldn't cultivate a relationship with the man as he had with Gregory. It wasn't in Rostov's character. So they had to fall back on other agents making contact and hoping one lead would be fruitful.

Billy listened to the presentation drone on. He'd been on the fringes of too many similar operations to not be able to follow the proceedings with half a mind. He was concerned how much Quidd had been involved in setting it all up. The man was a competent analyst—a decent psychiatrist—and he did his job for the Agency well—but that job often clashed with Billy's needs and priorities. And sometimes he felt the man had too much of a penchant for unnecessarily complicating things with his analyses and conclusions based on how people would react. It was too close to what Krutiov did for him to like it.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Back in his office, Billy went over the assignments he had worked out. Francine would cultivate Rostov—she was Billy's assistant and close enough to Billy himself so that if it worked—he'd have a good pipeline to the man himself. If it worked—but Billy doubted it would. The man was too old-school. He'd keep a close eye on his people but he'd not work any contacts himself. That was for the underlings.

Nieman would cultivate Ivan the Terrible. There was a good chance that one would pan out. He'd been a favorite of Gregory's and now Rostov was in charge he'd lost some of his plum assignments. Hopefully he was ripe for an alliance with one of Billy's people. Nieman was a good man—career Agency—quiet and stable. It might take more than a few weeks to make contact—but Billy hoped he was planting seeds for the future.

Sonja Chenko—originally reported by Scarecrow as a possible agent—and subsequent investigation had confirmed his initial assessment. She was young and new—but Billy knew youth was no reason to assume an agent was any less deadly or capable than any other. He'd decided to give her to Scarecrow—allow him to do a peacock dance with her—and have Amanda help out on it.

Billy mused. 'Quidd gave me a hard time on this one—he wanted Scarecrow to go in solo. I need both of them on this one—and now is the time to test Amanda. She hasn't been in on any peacock dances yet—and she needs to learn about them first hand. It will be tough on her. Scarecrow's an old pro—he can handle this and a new relationship no sweat—but Amanda's not used to the emotional compartmentalization required for the job. She's emotional—which is an asset at times—but it's also a possible liability—a deadly liability. She needs to learn to compartmentalize her feelings and fast. I hate to do it to them—they've been dancing around each other for so long—and now they've managed to hook up—I hope they've enjoyed their honeymoon over the summer because they're about to be hit by the reality of the business.'

'So Lee will do a peacock dance with Sonja—but how will I get Amanda involved past just monitoring his actions as backup? Quidd suggested the Lisbon variation—and I have to agree—reluctantly. It will be difficult for her to separate her feelings for Lee from the needs of their assignment—but giving her an active part in setting it all up will invest her more deeply in the mission.'

'And then there's the down side. If they are going to break up—it's better that they break up sooner than later. And this might break them up if Amanda's not up to the assignment. I hope they can remain a team—I need them as partners—but I also know that relationships don't always work out. Look at Lee and Francine. Everyone—including me—thought that one might just work out for the long hall. It lasted almost a month—a record for Scarecrow. But he decided to move on—and Francine took it in stride—outwardly. I know she was in love with the man—and she's never forgiven herself for it. But she was vulnerable after being dumped by Jonathan and when Scarecrow stepped in to help her heal—he unwittingly caused more damage. The man probably doesn't realize—or maybe he does and that's why he broke it off. Oh who knows? Right now—my concern is Amanda King. And all I can do is to give them the assignment and hope she manages to help pull it off—successfully. Even if Sonja doesn't bite—it's a valuable learning experience for the both of them.'

'Damn! If she'd gone through the training course she'd know about all of this—she'd have studied the scenarios and practiced them with fellow trainee candidates. So once again—she's getting her education through the back door. Hopefully one day she can take the courses up front and officially. I've dropped enough hints—and hopefully someone will take me up on it.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy was finishing up the briefing on Sonja Chenko in his office with Lee, Amanda and Francine. "Excellent work Amanda. A successful Lisbon variation depends on teamwork." He was doing his best to be supportive and reassuring.

"Yes sir. Lee did all the dancing." Amanda left rather abruptly.

Lee and Francine left a minute later after exchanging looks and Billy sat back down at his desk. He sighed deeply. 'She's upset about all of this. I knew she would be. But she's got to realize she needs to learn all of this. Hopefully Scarecrow will be there to talk to her about all of it. He's been through the wringer with some of these—he knows how badly it can go—and how well. We use these scenarios because they achieve results more reliably than most any other tactic. So Mrs. King needs to learn it. And maybe next time she will be the one doing the dancing. At least I was able to avoid that little scenario for her first time out. No—this is for the best. Either they are strong enough to weather this one—or they don't deserve to be together. It's a tough business we're in.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

The phone on the bedside table rang. Billy checked the clock—it was 12:10am. "Melrose here."

"This is Stemwinder communications officer—we've had a possible breach of security—Phillip Dart was discovered dead in his office. We need your presence down at his office to coordinate the investigation."

"All right—I'll be there in 30 minutes. Don't let anyone in or out—secure the scene—I'll get my people on it immediately."

'Damn! Why did the man have to go and get himself killed? I wonder if this has anything to do with the lead Scarecrow was checking with TP Aquinas? This isn't good. I need to put the whole Agency on alert—I have a very bad feeling about this one.'

Two hours later after Billy had talked to Amanda about Lee's disappearance, he knew it was worse than he'd thought. 'Scarecrow's prints on the safe, and now he's gone. And Amanda was out there monitoring him when he disappeared. I wonder if she realizes how bad it looks for both of them? I know in my bones that this is a setup and frame—but who? The why is obvious—someone wants to disrupt Stemwinder—make us look bad. All I can do is to keep on my toes and do whatever I can to protect my agents.'

He got back on his phone to try to call off the Stemwinder exercises.

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Once Amanda arrived at the Agency, she was whisked off to debriefing. Billy knew they'd be especially thorough—so he had some time. He sat and thought about the situation. Stemwinder was scheduled to start at 6am—and he figured it would not go well. So he needed to prepare for damage control. Right now—the only leak was Scarecrow—he supposedly passed the proper frequencies to Sonja—but Phillip Dart's safe had been breached—the day before. That gave the Soviets plenty of time to prepare a counter to their operations.

Smyth would come down on Mrs. King like a vengeance. Billy suspected Smyth harbored a grudge against Scarecrow. And so he also took it out on the man's unofficial partner. And right now she was in debriefing. This was just round one—Billy knew how it went. They'd let her eat a bit—rest a bit—and then wake her up and start all over again.

'I know Scarecrow won't rest until he gets to the bottom of this frame. That means Sonja Chenko—and whoever she's working with. And he needs his partner to do his best work. But she's locked up here—and Smyth won't let her out. I wonder if that lead he mentioned panned out? We need to check with Aquinas—but that's for later. Right now—Scarecrow won't come back in unless we drag him—and I don't want to do that. So I have to let Amanda get to him—somehow.'

He ran through several scenarios in his mind. 'Eventually she'll be released from debriefing—they can do only so much. There will be a brief respite before they start the hard interrogation. That's when I've got to get her out. Somehow Lee will manage to get a message to her. He'll know she will have been brought back in. So he'll probably try to call me. I have to make sure she's in here or around so when he does call she can talk to him. They're the closest partnership we have—somehow he'll let her know when and where to meet him. That's the best time! I can 'let' her escape—and have teams on her to follow wherever she goes. She may lose a few—but not everyone.'

He nodded. 'That's the best time—once Scarecrow calls her—I'll set up a tracking operation to nab Scarecrow—when in reality it will be a tracking operation to follow her. Hopefully she'll take the opportunity when I leave her alone to leave and go to where he told her to be. Then all we have to do is follow Amanda King—and hopefully we can get both of them and find out who did this and how we can make it right.'

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Billy felt bad that he had to pressure Amanda so much. Taking her into the Stemwinder control room to allow her to view the disaster up close was harsh—but he needed her to realize the danger both she and her partner were in. Smyth's threats had been icing on the cake.

Then, once back in his office he had confronted her with the most damning evidence. The meet Rostov had tried to set up—had they known Francine was tailing him? It certainly looked bad. Their dinners at Emilios—five times in the past two weeks—while they had been working the peacock dance. Billy was disappointed—he had hoped they would be more discreet. Still—nobody would have known about it if Stemwinder hadn't been blown. And her vehement denial that Lee and Sonja had been lovers. That was the most telling. The woman was definitely in love—and so was Lee. But that just made it look worse—they were partners and in love—so it looked like they were in it together. Whoever had planned this frame was a master.

Shortly after Amanda managed to leave, Billy went to his car to follow up on Francine's tip. Lee had been there in the Georgetown grocery store—Sonja as well—the man was good—but Sonja escaped—with help. That much had been made clear from the eyewitness statements. An older man—greying—worn face—foreign accent.

After Smyth left in his car—Billy gathered his thoughts. 'I managed to get Smyth to give me the D1. Good—I can control things better if I'm in charge. We have people already talking to Aquinas—hopefully he got something for Lee. I have to go and pick up Amanda from her house. I don't want to do it—but orders are orders. Hopefully Scarecrow will be able to get to her again.'

'And now I have a problem. I have to try to catch them—but I know Lee wants to stay free and work this himself. And he needs Amanda to do that. I hope they still have their luck because they'll need it to be able to get away. We'll put the house under surveillance and make sure her family isn't threatened. But for now—the Agency is on full alert—and our main objective is to bring in Scarecrow—dead or alive.'

End part one.


	29. Chapter 29

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 29

Stemwinder 2 September 26, 1986

It was late—Scarecrow and Mrs. King were long-gone. He'd decided to call it a day. He was back in his office after spending the afternoon at Amanda's home interrogating her mother and children. The boys knew nothing—so he let them go up to their rooms after a few questions. He stayed with Mrs. West—more out of a sense of responsibility than anything else. The woman clearly knew nothing about Amanda's secret life. He had to admire Mrs. King—it couldn't have been easy all these years keeping her connection to the Agency secret. And he once again marveled at the resemblance between Dotty West and her daughter. 'She's more of a talker than Amanda. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of one of her interrogations. Amanda's a lot tougher than I thought if she can continually resist her mother's endless questioning.'

Billy was torn—secretly he was very pleased Lee and Amanda had managed to get away without a trace. That showed both of them were very good. But he also wanted to help them—and also make sure they were safe from Smyth's D1. Granted—he was heading the operation—but Billy didn't trust Smyth to not send out a couple of independent trappers on his own. The man was like that—he loved running his own private operations in parallel.

Hopefully they were secure for the night. Francine had coordinated a team tracking down all of Lee's family—his contacts. Hopefully if one of them tried to hook up they'd be on it. Billy had a more complete list of Lee's family than Lee knew. He presumed there were a couple more out there he didn't know about—but he figured he only needed the ones in the DC area.

He turned out his desk light and prepared to go home. He knew there would be some long days—and nights—until this case was wrapped up—one way or another. Hopefully it would end well—with Scarecrow clearing his name—and that of his partner. Because now she had fled with the man—she was just as highly implicated as he was. If she had stayed behind—Billy may have been able to shield her somewhat—but not now. Still—they were his best team and he had every confidence in them. 'I think I'll drop by Sweet Rita on the way home. I'll leave a message that he can contact me if he needs to. It's on my way—and maybe Scarecrow will decide to reach out. It couldn't hurt.'

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When Billy arrived the next morning it was to receive a report that agents had trailed one of Lee's unofficial family contacts—but the man had still managed to pass them food, weapons and cash—and the two fugitives had gotten away. When Billy had questioned the Agent who had Scarecrow in his sights but hadn't shot—the man had mumbled something about worrying about hitting Mrs. King accidentally. Privately Billy had breathed a sigh of relief. He'd checked Sweet Rita—the message drop on Rita Ave. in Arlington—on the way to work—his message had been picked up—but none left in return. That was OK—it left a message in itself—Scarecrow was aware of the drop and could contact him that way.

He went back to Amanda's house—he decided now that Lee's contacts were cut off—their best hope of contact would be through Amanda's family. So he determined to set up shop there for at least the morning. Once Joe arrived—Billy was able to apprise the man of the real situation. Hopefully he'd take some sort of action and they'd be able to track Amanda that way. Joe was smart—and resourceful. But he was no agent—so maybe he'd slip up and they'd capitalize on that. And his presence would be a calming influence on the family. So Billy felt secure enough to leave and get back to the Agency. There was a team on the house—so the family was safe—and they were watching all the individuals. Hopefully if Amanda tried to get a message through—they'd spot her.

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At the end of another long and frustrating day—Billy had to admit the score was Scarecrow 2—Agency 0. Billy reviewed the day over a small glass of bourbon. 'How Amanda managed to get those kids to take her note—dressed as she was—she's able to make friends with most anyone. We're following TP Aquinas and several of Lee's other contacts—but TP is an old spook himself—so he lost us several times throughout the day. The old man seems to be making something of a game of it. Spare me the antiquarian's antics. At least he let us know that Sonja is Alexi's granddaughter—which puts a whole different spin on the peacock dance. Just who was leading that dance? I suspect Lee was being set up from that first contact.'

'Hopefully tomorrow will be better for us. Smyth is impatient at the best of times—and with no good results—he's livid. All we can do it play the game as it comes down—and hopefully anticipate any upcoming moves. And try to help Scarecrow and keep him and his partner alive. They're too good to waste on a vendetta of Smyth's.'

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Billy was reading the morning classifieds—and there it was! 'The gall of the man! I can't believe he's offering to defect. It has to be some sort of plan to smoke Alexi out. Smyth will go nuclear over this one—I've got to keep up the manhunt—and keep hoping we can do something. I'll arrange for a final appeal. That's the best I can give the man. I know he's monitoring Sweet Rita—so I'll leave a message for a meet. I pray he'll take me up on it—because if he doesn't I'll have to pull out all the stops, and shoot to kill. Scarecrow's playing a dangerous game—if this doesn't work out he and Amanda will have to defect—because otherwise they'll be dead.'

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Billy watched Scarecrow duck out of sight—effectively escaping from the trap Dr. Smyth had set. 'Damn that man! How could he violate a final appeal? Unless I fix this—nobody will believe that's an option in the future. Too many possible defections have been stopped by the tactic. We need all the resources we can get. It's a dirty and difficult game. And Smyth just breaks the rules when it suits him. He's on a witch hunt for Scarecrow and Amanda. I've got to stand between them and Smyth—otherwise they'll both end up dead—branded as traitors.'

As Billy rode back to the Agency he thought about the aborted meeting. 'They surely planned that whole thing well. It seems Scarecrow expected Smyth—or someone—to violate the truce.' Billy shrugged. 'Paranoia is a survival tactic when everyone is out to get you. Amanda is valuable backup—they work together so well in the field. All they have is each other now—unless I can manage to help. I'll leave another message—Smyth has crossed the line. If Lee needs me I'll do whatever he wants to help him catch Alexi Markharov. I owe it to him—and to stick my thumb in Smyth's eye. Damn that man!'

'Please God—keep those two safe and let them find Alexi, and solve the case.'

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Once Smyth had breezed down the corridor, Billy and Francine retreated to Billy's office—he and Francine sat quietly.

"Billy—I know this has to be tough for you." Francine was sympathetic.

"Lee is a friend—I owe him my life—I owe Amanda my life, too. I can't just hunt them down without hearing their side of the story. And now we have proof Alexi is here in DC."

"And Smyth blows it off." Francine was angry. "I can't believe that man. He's more worried about his job than the lives of two agents who have risked their lives repeatedly for this Agency. Doesn't that count for anything anymore?"

"Apparently not." Billy sounded defeated. He asked suddenly. "Are you hungry?"

Francine looked taken aback for a split second—then replied. "Yeah—I could go for some food. C'mon—it'll be my treat—I know a little place just down the street."

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Once installed at a small table tucked in the corner of a busy deli—Billy and Francine ate their sandwiches while they planned.

"You don't have to do this. If anything goes wrong—it would be a disaster if both of us ended up in prison." Billy was trying to warn Francine off.

Francine was decisive. "Smyth is a bastard. The way he ambushed Lee at his final appeal—we can't let that go unanswered. So whatever you're planning—count me in."

Billy nodded and smiled. "OK—I'm expecting Lee to contact me—we've seen Rostov's reply and the defection is set for tomorrow. So we have to be ready to help however we can."

Francine nodded. "Can we get anyone else?"

Billy shook his head. "The fewer that are in on this—the better. We can arrange for the team to be ready to converge if we get anything that can help Scarecrow. When I find out the place for the meet—I'll post the rest of the team a few blocks away. That way we can call in backup once things start coming down. But initially—it will be just the two of us in there."

"And Lee and Amanda—don't count them out—they're a pretty formidable team."

"Yes they are—and if anyone can break this case and come out on top—it's those two."

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Billy was at his desk wrapping up the paperwork on Stemwinder. He heard his door open, and Dr. Smyth—wreathed in a cloud of cigarette smoke entered his office and sat across his desk.

"Well Melrose—I guess our boy was right about Alexi Makharov. Good thing he and his partner managed to capture him. No telling what mischief the man might have managed if he was allowed to go free."

Billy stared at Smyth incredulously. His blood was boiling. He slowly and deliberately stood, and moved to close the blinds. And then, equally slowly he sat back down at his desk and folded his hands in front of him. He tried very hard not to think of the loaded weapon close at hand in his desk drawer.

"Smyth—this time you went too far. YOU ordered the D1 manhunt on Scarecrow and his partner—YOU refused to listen to anything about Alexi Markharov—and YOU followed me to Scarecrow's final appeal. What is it that you have against the man? Because this has all the earmarks of a personal vendetta, and I WILL NOT allow such behavior towards agents in my unit!" At the end of his tirade, Billy was standing behind his desk, pointing accusingly at the Agency Director and shouting at full volume.

Dr. Smyth sat impassively for a few moments—then he answered—calmly and dispassionately. "Scarecrow is a maverick. He bends or breaks the rules when it suits him. He's a hotshot and grandstands to get his kicks. He revels in rubbing my nose in his achievements—and refuses to ever admit he's made any mistakes or could have done anything in a better—more quiet less disruptive manner. I expect MY agents to operate quietly—efficiently—in the shadows—like our motto."

Billy shook his head. "If we had been able to pursue the leads on Alexi Makharov and Sonja Chenko we might have been able to spare this unit the expense and disruption of the D1. Now I have to modify all my budgets for the rest of the year. Some of your pet projects will certainly have to be put on the back burner—because I'm almost below the line now—assuming you plan on keeping the regular day-to-day operations intact."

"I'm sure you will find a way to manage."

"What do you plan to do about Mrs. King?"

"The housewife? What should I do about her? She won't be fired—if that's what you mean."

"FIRED! You should thank her personally! On bended knee! She's half of my—of OUR best team! And she's still just a civilian auxiliary."

"It saves your unit money to have her operating at the lower pay level."

Billy shook his head. "The woman needs agent training. She needs to have the skills and resources any other agent has. She's survived these past three years with luck, the help of her partner and some amazing natural instincts. She and her partner managed to evade the full resources of this Agency for several days—engineer a fake defection—send and receive messages to her family right under our noses—track and capture Alexi Markharov and Rostov—and solve the murder of Philip Dart. If she's this good now—imagine how much better she and her partner can be once she's completed the training course."

Smyth's reply was swift and delivered in a flat voice. "She flunked out of Station One. Twice."

"And you have the authority to bypass that requirement. Don't you think her performance this week is the equal to—or better than—a passing grade at Station One?"

Smyth sat back in thought. Then he replied. "I'll take it under advisement."

Billy nodded. "I expected that response from you. I'll be sure to include it in my report that goes up the street."

Smyth puffed on his cigarette and elevated his eyebrows in question.

"Since the Salee and Food for Flight cases I have been copying all their reports to the White House. At the President's request. Seems he's taken a personal interest in their work." Billy sat back and allowed this little bombshell to detonate under Smyth's chair. It felt very good to finally have the opportunity to play his ace.

Smyth finished his cigarette. And quietly disposed of the butt and prepared and then lit another. After the first couple of puffs he spoke. "See to it that the housewife is enrolled in the next round of freshman agent classes. I expect her to work hard and pass with good grades." Smyth smiled. "Her good work should be rewarded."

"I'll let her know." Billy replied. "Anything else?"

Smyth looked pensive. "Melrose—have you considered you will not have this position forever?"

"And have you considered that next fall there will be someone new in the White House?"

"I am on very good terms with the Vice-President. I have every confidence he will prevail in the upcoming elections." Smyth was smug.

"Times change—administrations change. You know it's only a matter of time until the other party will regain the White House. I know my position is pretty immune to such changes. Not yours."

"And I'll deal with that contingency when it occurs. Until then—I'm still the director of this Agency. And—any time in the future you receive such a request from the White House—I expect you to inform me of it."

"Unless I am ordered to keep it in confidence." Billy quietly replied with a stern look. "When your request for signed pardons came down—I was requested to report on the situation. In confidence. And when I did, I was released from my order to keep the reports confidential. This is the first time I have seen you since my release from that order. Now you know."

Smyth nodded slowly. "You play the game well, Melrose. Shame you're not a few years younger—you'd make a worthy successor when the time comes."

Billy shook his head. "That isn't my ambition. I'm happy where I am."

"Let the housewife know I'm pleased with her performance this week. I'll leave it to you to make the arrangements for her training. Oh, and I hope she will also keep up her schedule working with her partner. We can't afford to lose her services just because she's going to school, can we?" Smyth breezed out of Billy's office not bothering to wait for a reply.

Billy sat back and let out a breath. 'I finally managed to get Amanda the training she's needed for the past three years. And Smyth expects her to keep up with her partner while she's in training.' He shook his head. 'I guess the man has to save face somehow. She has a lot of the skills and knowledge already—I'll manage to get Scarecrow on more security details and other lighter stuff until she's done. It's only a few months. She's managed up to now—and I know she'll be thrilled to get the training.'


	30. Chapter 30

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 30

Unfinished Business October 3, 1986 (3 years from the day…)

"Enter." Billy responded to the knock on the door. He looked up to see Dr. Charles Anderson—the pharmacist in charge of the Agency dispensary. This couldn't be good. "Dr. Anderson—what brings you into my office?"

"I think two of your people may have removed a controlled substance from my dispensary."

"That's a serious charge. What makes you think this?"

"At first I didn't make the connection—but yesterday Mrs. King dropped by and asked about how aspirin works to relieve a headache. She seemed very interested, and I was happy to answer her question. She said she'd be back to ask more—but she didn't return. I thought nothing of it—but I just checked the locked cabinet looking for something else—and a vial of promazepam is missing."

Billy's heart sank. "Was she anywhere near that cabinet?"

"No—not at all."

"Then why do you suspect her?"

"Her partner is more than capable of getting in there—and her visit seemed just too convenient."

"Did you see him?"

"No."

"Then you only have a suspicion—no proof."

"No. No proof." Dr. Anderson wilted a bit.

"Thank you for coming to me with this. Have you told anyone else yet?"

"No—I came right to you."

"I'll handle this. You just note the discrepancy and I'll deflect any heat if it comes down on you."

"Thanks. I've got to get back to my dispensary." The pharmacist left.

Billy sat back. 'I'll put money down that Amanda was running a diversion for Scarecrow. Her explanation was too pat. And McRary from Langley has been calling Scarecrow. Promazepam—that's a deep recall drug. This has to have some connection with those documents he's been getting from the CIA. And right after he got the latest batch of files the drug disappears—because now he knows his mother was with British Intelligence. That has to be a big revelation for him. So far he's kept it quiet. And after Stemwinder—I was hoping things could calm down a bit.'

'What do I do? Do I let him know that I know what he's up to? I tell him McRary has been calling and then they go to Blackthorne's estate and ask about his parents. He doesn't know I have the full substance of that visit. And now he'll probably try the drug as I've forbidden them to go back there.'

'Let's be fair—I sent them away hoping he'd work it out on his own. I know the man won't rest until he gets to the bottom of this. And yelling at Amanda too will ensure they'll stay away unless he gets some solid proof against Blackthorne. We don't want Sinclair staying there—we need him in a secure facility where we can keep an eye on him at all times—and if Scarecrow uncovers something shady about Blackthorne—it will be the perfect excuse to move Sinclair out of there. I just hope Lee finds some answers about his parents and resolves some of those old issues for himself—he won't see a shrink—so Amanda is all he has. The fact he included her in his little fishing expedition means she's in on it, so he's opened up to her at least on that front. Good for you, Amanda—you may be the savior of Scarecrow yet.'

'I hope I haven't made a critical mistake. I would have handled it differently if I knew they had that drug. But all I can do now is wait—and hope it all works out OK.'

After Unfinished Business October 3, 1986

Billy was in his office after the debriefings of Scarecrow and Amanda. 'Blackthorne sold US supplies to the Russians during the war. Scarecrow managed to uncover the link, and stop the assassination of Rene Sinclair. Unfortunately Blackthorne ended up dead—because he might have given us a few more links. Black market operations over 40 years ago and we're still suffering the repercussions.'

'Hopefully this will end Lee's obsession with his parents. He managed to clear their names—Blackthorne was making false reports to deflect suspicion onto them. And Blackthorne engineered their deaths. Fortunately Lee found their evidence. The homeowners are being cooperative and allowing us to repair the damage and clear out the hidden cellar in the process. Can't leave anything down there that someone might stumble on in the future.'

'And Amanda was there to save Lee from Blackthorne. I'll give him a couple days off. He needs it to process what went down. And let that drug get through his system. He's damned lucky he's mostly OK. A few flashbacks—but that's normal for a couple of days. That man leads a charmed life—first that nerve gas—now the promazepam. And his parents can now rest in peace with no stain on their memories. Maybe he can finally move on. It's a big breakthrough for him. He's never mentioned details about his parents—ever. Now he's managed to use their research to break an important case. He's very lucky to have Amanda with him. She may be adopting some of his less-than-orthodox ways, but she still manages to still keep him in line.'

No Thanks for the Memory October 10, 1986

"May I have my office back, please?" Billy asked. Lee and Beaman gave each other a look and left. Lee looked smug—Beaman annoyed.

Billy had to chuckle. 'I knew Amanda's training would be somewhat unorthodox—but calling a flash alert after being assigned a class C interrogation… Only Amanda. Still it was entirely appropriate. And she does have three years of solid field experience. It's gratifying to see how much she has actually learned during those three years.'

'Poor Beaman is going to have his hands full. He's trying so hard to treat her like another recruit—but she isn't a normal recruit in any way. He says he gives her a lot of slack—but he still tries to keep her within the narrow bounds of a raw recruit—and she's anything but. It's a good experience for the both of them. Mrs. King is finally getting the formal training she's needed these past years and filling in the gaps in her espionage education. Beaman is learning how to improvise and handle a not-so-normal recruit. So far Amanda is doing better than Beaman. But Beaman is a good man—and he has potential well beyond the tasks he's been assigned in the past few years. Maybe he'll end up being a field agent as well. He has the credentials—he just needs some seasoning and work on his ability to think outside the box and adapt to fluid situations.'

After No Thanks for the Memory October 10, 1986

Billy was very pleased with the latest case of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. 'Amanda's Class C interrogation assignment turned into a major coup for our side. We captured Colonel Alexis Tolst red-handed and he won't be getting out of prison ever. And with luck—he'll eventually cooperate and we'll get more valuable information. The man has operated with impunity for too long—and now he's out of commission permanently. That makes our week. Hell—maybe the whole month!'

'I'd give a lot to have pictures of Lee debriefing Zmed in Amanda's treehouse. That may be one of the most unorthodox sites for a defection debriefing in the history of this Agency. Amanda does manage to bring a certain air of unconventionality to all her work. And she drags Scarecrow along with her. Does the man good to get out of his rut once in a while. Maybe if I give Amanda a camera for future cases—just in case…'

'And Zmed Dorloff may end up being a valuable asset as well. He will relocate—but I think we might manage to relocate him somewhere his unique abilities will be available for us to use. He certainly is willing to help. Amanda's handling of his situation guaranteed that. She does get personally involved. That may come to haunt her in the future—but she has Scarecrow to offset that for her. They are such a great team.'

'Amanda is such a natural for Class C interrogations. Maybe I should have someone analyze her 'technique' and incorporate it into our training program. She gets results that nobody else can. When I think about her interrogation of Barnhill in London… Only Amanda. Like Lee said, she has a style all her own.'

It's in the Water October 17, 1986

Billy was reviewing the Omega Triad case. 'In a way Carmine Davis did us a great favor. He managed to exploit a big hole in the water purification system, in a manner that caused no loss of life. He's damned lucky he managed to come out of it unscathed. Hopefully he'll not do much time—and we've arranged for him to receive his PhD from Georgetown. His chemistry skills are unparalleled and we need good minds like his. Maybe we can work out something with the judge for him to do his time working in a secure facility.' He made a note to himself to have a talk with legal and see what kind of briefs could be filed on his behalf.

'Amanda's previous case—the Fletcher case recovering the C-12 crystals—tied directly into this one. She met Carmine then when he helped them set up their chapter of Mothers for a Safe Environment. We're very lucky there because her swift identification of Carmine Davis helped us close this case quickly. We could have spent weeks trying to identify the man. And we managed to get Franklin Miller—so that's another scumbag terrorist-for-hire off the streets. His death saved the taxpayers the cost of a trial and incarceration. I should be sorry for it—but I'm not. Those terrorists-for-hire are the worst. I can almost sympathize with the idealists—but the ones who do it just for the money—the ones who don't care who they're working for or what they have to do or how many they kill—they're the worst of the worst. Unfortunately there are always more where he came from. Still—one less out there is good for our side.'

'I went out on a limb—counting on Scarecrow and Amanda's ability to make sure the poison didn't get into the system. But shutting down DC's water supply on a 'what if' was a risk I wasn't going to take. It would be a signal to terrorists all over the world that we're vulnerable and also too cautious. That is a posture we can't afford to take. Good thing they managed to prevent the second half of the chemical from getting into the stream on time. Once the 20 minute window had passed we were safe—the rain will wash the chemicals into the water and it will pass harmlessly through the system. So that threat's been thoroughly neutralized.'

'Miller was a sneaky bastard—wiring the house with explosives. Amanda almost walked right into that one. She's got to learn to be more careful. But that's what the classes are for. And experienced agents have made similar mistakes. That's why she has a partner. They're my best team.'


	31. Chapter 31

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 31

Nightcrawler October 31, 1986

Billy was presiding over the meeting in the conference room. The joint task-force was planning on rounding up one of Addi Birol's main lieutenants in the morning. He was building another Karbala strike force in DC and they meant to stop him. Again.

Yusuf of the ATAK team was speaking. "We will have people in several places in several guises. Scarecrow's source—" the Saudi nodded at Lee, "has told us one of Birol's lieutenants will be at the airport. So we will be in place tomorrow morning to intercept her. Scarecrow will give the signal, no?"

"Yes. I'll have Nightcrawler's intel to pinpoint the lieutenant. Phyliss is her name."

"Funny how most of Birol's lieutenants are women." Francine commented.

"He uses women as they are less suspect. And they can go more places than a man could in your society. It's the coward's way to hide behind women." Yusuf took a puff of his ever-present cigar.

Billy took over. "Everyone has their assignments. We assemble at 0630 tomorrow morning—get into gear and head out at 0700. The mission is set for 0830. Any questions?' The assembled group were silent. "Right. Dismissed then."

As the people filed out, Billy spoke quietly to his best team. "Scarecrow—Amanda—wait up a bit."

They nodded and stayed behind. When the rest had left Billy motioned for them to sit.

"Amanda—I know you're only a trainee—but I've authorized your participation in this sting." Billy smiled at her.

"Thank you, sir."

"Billy, she's done this sort of thing before—it will go down smoothly." Lee smiled at his partner.

"Yes I know—but it took a bit of wrangling from Beaman to let her out of classes for this week. The planning and coordination have been key—and I especially appreciate your help in that Amanda."

"Lee works his source—all I did was help put a few things together." She shrugged off her work.

"Your work has made the planning run all the more smoothly. And I appreciate it. Now you realize you two will be under contact zero. You'll be in proximity—but you won't interact at all. For any reason."

"No sir—I understand. I'm posing as a journalist—waiting to tape a story."

"That's right." Lee replied. "It's important to set you up as a journalist in case we need the cover of a TV crew. Birol has gone public before and if you're already established—it will make it easier to use you again if the need arises."

"Go home you two. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Billy." "Goodnight, sir."

Billy returned to his office to find Edna DiAngelo sitting across from his desk.

"Hello Edna—to what do I owe this visit?" He smiled and greeted the woman from human resources.

"Hello Billy. I know you asked me to keep an eye out on your people—let you know if there's any unusual requests from any of them or changes in status."

"Have you got something?" Billy was intrigued.

"Stetson's requested I refigure his pension totals and early retirement numbers. He also asked me to figure in a two salary hike and dependant breaks—for two dependants specifically." She looked meaningfully at the section chief.

"I see. Have you given him this information yet?"

"No—it takes a bit if time—I have to contact our pension people and with the change in status—it will take a day or so."

Billy nodded. "Will you send me a copy also—eyes only?"

Edna nodded. "I can do that. Sounds like someone's planning on tying the knot—if I read the signs right."

"And you're the expert on that, Edna. Thanks—I appreciate the heads up."

"Anytime—you're a good boss—you keep tabs on your people and make sure they're well cared for. Many bosses wouldn't go the extra mile like that."

"Happy employees are hard-working employees. We demand so much from our agents that we owe it to them to help them out as much as we can. Thanks again, Edna."

Mrs. DiAngelo left Billy's office. Billy sat back in thought. 'I can hardly believe it—but congratulations Amanda! You've managed to get our Scarecrow planning on marriage. And unless I totally misread the signs—which I somehow doubt—you're about to become Mrs. Scarecrow. What a difference from four years ago after Eric died. From lone wolf—hostile and practically suicidal—to happily and successfully partnered and half of my best team.'

'But if anyone could do it, Amanda—I put my money on you from the start. He never realized what hit him. You played him like a pro right from the beginning. And he didn't realize at all what you were doing! That's the miracle here. We all got a gift from heaven the day you accepted that package from our boy. I'm just glad you have the stubbornness to stick around, Because we're all a whole lot better off with you around these past three years.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

The next day—after reading the president's congratulations to the ATAK team—Billy was sifting through papers on his desk. He came across the bulletin from State about their job openings. Usually he just tossed those things—he wanted his people to stay put—but this time he looked more closely at it. 'Admin 1—head of their Bureau of Intelligence and Research. It's a big jump in pay from that of a senior field agent. I'd hate to lose my best team—but married people need safe secure jobs. And normal hours. It's amazing how Amanda has managed all these years with her boys. Her mother has been a big help—but if they marry she'll probably move out and the boys will need two reliable parents for them at home in the evenings and on weekends.'

'If Lee takes it—he'll be leaving at the top of his career. I wonder if Amanda will follow him? I'll deal with it when the time comes—if the time comes. These things take months—and he might not want it. Still—I owe it to them to make the gesture. And if they decide to start a family of their own—Amanda's only got a few years left—so they'll have to hurry. With this job at State she could stay home with the baby and they would still have a comfortable living.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy, Lee and Dr. Quidd were in Billy's office after Amanda had been kidnapped by Birol.

Lee was stressed. "I know exactly what I owe doc—and if I have to I'll pay it back in my own blood." He left the office.

Billy spoke while watching his agent cross the bullpen. "He thinks it's his fault, Quidd."

"There's more going on with him than guilt—he'd got an emotional hangup and that's not good." The doctor replied.

"For an agent that can be bad. I remember when he didn't have any emotions at all."

"Keep him on a tight rein, Melrose."

"I will. Thank you doctor." Dr. Quidd left Billy's office.

Billy sat heavily in his desk chair. 'Birol played us. He planned on getting Amanda all along. And now he'll use her as leverage to get Nightcrawler and possibly Scarecrow as well.'

'She's still alive—otherwise he'd have no bargaining chip. That's one good thing. But he'll try to get her to talk and reveal Nightcrawler's identity. And that she doesn't know. On the one hand—that's good. She can't spill what she doesn't know. But he'll be rough on her—and I wouldn't want to be in Scarecrow's place—forced to sit on the sidelines while the woman he loves is in the hands of a ruthless terrorist. But I have to make sure Scarecrow stays put—otherwise he'll go off half cocked and try a rescue—and if he gets captured or killed—it will be doubly worse. Because where Scarecrow could hold out against most anything Birol could do to him—he'll fold if Amanda is threatened.'

'This is my worst nightmare for those two. If they can manage to come out OK after this—alive—relatively unharmed and still together—they're together for life. Nothing could split them up. But they still have to come through this one—and the outcome is still far from certain. If she dies—that's the end of Scarecrow. He won't recover from another blow like this. All I can do is pray and see my people do their best to get Amanda back.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Francine was in Billy's office after her abortive attempt with Scarecrow to get Amanda back. She outlined the plan she and Lee had worked up to try to trade for Amanda.

"Face it Billy. The Libyans are paying top dollar for American hostages. It'll work."

Billy was disgusted. He should have anticipated Lee would pull something like this. "All right—I'll help. Go to Yusuf and brief him on what you have. We'll run it together and hope to hell it works. Because I don't have any other plans now. Dismissed. Get out of here." He waved his assistant out in exasperation.

'Damn! I knew Scarecrow was still running Nightcrawler—but I had hoped Francine would be responsible enough to let me know if he was planning a hare-brained scheme like last night. Now I have two agents in Birol's hands. At least the groundwork has been laid. Magda is back in with Birol, and Francine can do the impersonation.'

'Birol is smart. He won't execute either Lee or Amanda unless he gets something valuable in return. The money from the Libyans is a start—but he could get so much more for Scarecrow. And with Amanda as leverage—I shudder to think what that man is capable of. So we have to pray this sting works. Because we need Magda to lead us to Birol and hopefully Lee and Amanda.'

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

After the takedown, Billy returned to the room where Lee and Amanda were paralyzed by the zap gas. They looked so peaceful—so in love. He shook his head. 'Who do those two think they're fooling?'

He looked around the room—and found the notepad Lee had written down his assets and the rest for Birol. As Billy read the list he was filled with a growing dread. 'The man made a nearly complete list. With this Birol could fund himself for another couple of years. Did Lee realize he was signing his and Amanda death warrants with this?'

Billy looked again to the couple resting in each others' arms. 'Maybe he did at that. Birol would have executed them quickly and cleanly—Magda told us. At least they would have been beyond Birol's reach after that. In these situations—sometimes a quick clean death is the best deal you can get.'

He pocketed the notebook. I'll see if this needs to be turned in as evidence. If there's no mention of it—it can quietly burn.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy reviewed the debriefings of Scarecrow and Amanda after their rescue. It had taken a day for Mrs. King to recover enough to be even somewhat coherent. Birol had drugged her and combined with the sleep deprivation and then the aftereffects of the zap gas—most of what she remembered past the first day was mainly hallucinations. So her debriefing was essentially worthless with regard to any pertinent facts. That made Billy sigh in relief.

Scarecrow had been canny enough to see Billy wave the notebook at him—so he had wisely refrained from mentioning it during his debriefing. Billy had burned it in his fireplace that evening himself—and thoroughly sifted the ashes before cleaning them out with the remains of several previous fires. If Jeannie had suspected anything she had wisely kept her own counsel.

Billy thought about what Mrs. King had told the debriefing team. 'She kept seeing Lee—he told her he was coming for her. He told her to be patient. He told her to hang in there—she wasn't forgotten. That's some powerful tie those two have. That was also good incentive for her to keep to her cover—and from everything we have been able to discover she did keep to her cover story. She never admitted to Birol she was anything other than a news reporter. How she managed to do it—it's a miracle. She never fingered Nightcrawler—she didn't know and Birol apparently figured it out himself.'

'Now I have a big problem. Lee won't take that job at state. He wants to keep working with Amanda in the field. On the one hand—they're my best team and I'm glad to still have them. But this case showed how vulnerable they are to threats to the other. Is this a liability I can live with?'

'Face it—she's been a liability for him from the start. Partners work together and get close and they can be used against each other. That's why when one agent goes bad—usually the partner goes bad as well. Benson was an exception to that rule—but he set up his partner and had him executed. I know those two will never go bad. They don't follow the rules all the time—but even when Lee committed treason to trade for Amanda—they managed to make it right and get more out of the bargain than we had in the first place. And they weren't even involved then.'

'She's gotten a whole lot better since then—and she's still in training so she'll learn more yet. If she's this good at resisting drugs and torture—think how invincible she will be after the drug series and developing a mantra. I won't have to worry on that account. They still have their luck. I guess I'll be able to live with the idea that they would possibly betray themselves for the other. But they will also sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Scarecrow proved that with Birol. And I think Amanda would also in a similar situation. So I'll keep quiet about their involvement—and possible marriage—and do what I can to help them along. I owe them that much at least. I wonder if they'll ever tell me about it? Time will tell.'


	32. Chapter 32

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 32

Billy's Lost Weekend November 7, 1986

Billy came slowly to consciousness sitting at his desk in his office deep within the Agency. He remembered a series of events and images—weird stuff—things that couldn't have been real—bears—dogs—skeletons. He tasted his tongue—a weird acrid taste came to his attention. He tried to move and found his limbs were unusually heavy. He shook his head and discovered he was dizzy. He checked his watch—very early Monday morning—4:56am. But he was dressed in evening wear. So what had happened? Where had he been? He remembered leaving the office Friday afternoon—dressed in his suit—Jeannie had been out of town visiting relatives. He thought long and hard—but try as he might—he couldn't remember anything that had transpired between Friday evening and waking up at his desk other than those weird images.

'This is not good. I've lost an entire weekend—and based on how I feel and how my tongue tastes—I think I've been drugged. Which means someone tried to get to me—and I retreated into Thornton's repression. I'm in big trouble—and so is the Agency. And until I find out what happened and who tried to get to me—I've got to put myself on administrative lockout.' He reached for the phone and started the process.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Billy read the reports while waiting for the results of his blood tests. Picked up at 3am by DC Metro police in an alley. He had been disoriented—but hadn't blown anything to indicate he was over the legal limit—no surprise there—he had been drugged—not drunk. He had managed to get the cops to drop him off at IFF—he convinced them he had attended a party and gotten lost—and got down to his office by pure instinct. He remembered nothing of any of it.

He knew the statistics on agents using Thornton's repression. It was an effective technique for keeping secrets—but the cost to the agent was usually reassignment or retirement. If he couldn't recover his memories of his weekend he was going to be retired early. After what happened with Max Bateman—he couldn't risk it. Even though he was an administrator—there were enough unusual occurrences in the office to require him to be fully fit for field duty—even if he rarely went in the field anymore. He thought back to the Cyclops case—that had been a fluke. He was grateful for Scarecrow and Amanda's help. They had insisted on giving him credit for the whole thing—but he knew without their help he would be dead.

So he sat back and relaxed—he tried a bit of meditation—hopefully he could access his memories once the drugs cleared his system. And he would do what he could to help himself. He wasn't going to go down without a fight.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

It was late—he and Lee and Amanda had been going at it all day—two days. They were back at the Agency and Amanda was getting the computer ready to research the Kalahari list. He had a tickling feeling in the back of his mind that he knew all about it—but it was behind the wall of repression. It was like he could see it—but couldn't reach far enough to grasp it. 'No good forcing things. The best thing is to think about something else entirely.'

He thought back to his two best—and favorite—agents. 'They are finally doing something about their relationship. And unless I'm totally off-base something pretty big happened during the Birol case. I've had a while to really think about it and I'm good with whatever they choose to do together. Hopefully that includes marriage. Amanda deserves some happiness and it's about time Scarecrow finally settles down.'

'They are playing a risky game here. If Smyth were to find out that they were involved… The manual expressly forbids relationships between partners—but we all know that rule is more often broken than honored. It usually doesn't work out—and often the partners end up being reassigned. But not those two. They're in it for the long haul. If what happened with Birol couldn't break them up—nothing will. So I'll give them my blessing—except if I'm retired early—I won't be here to shield them. Francine is more sympathetic than she was a year ago—hell two months ago considering what Smyth pulled during the Stemwinder case—but she won't be as willing to put her neck on the line. She has a long career ahead of her. Mine is winding up. I don't have nearly as much to lose.'

'So if they are to stay together working at the Agency—I have to remain their section chief. They've been a big help so far—I've managed to remember Kalahari—that's what they were after—the Kalahari list. Now if I could only remember what it was…' He shifted his thoughts back to his mental diversion.

'I should let them know I'll support them, no matter what they choose to do. They'll pretend they don't know what I'm talking about—but the message will get through.' He shook his head. 'This business—we hint and allude and make vague statements—and hope the other person understands what we're getting at without saying anything directly. For once it will be good to state something clearly and without any obfuscation. It will be fun to watch their faces. I'll remember that for a long time.'

He returned to the bullpen and after discussing the computer search he laid it on them. "I want you both to know that your relationship—whatever it is—is fine with me. We all look for something and when we find it I think—we should hang on with everything we've got." Their faces went totally blank, and as he turned to make coffee he caught them looking at each other. 'Gotcha! That was well worth it. Message received—by both of them. The way they can have an entire conversation with just a look—if that's not just like an old married couple—nothing is. Might as well go the rest of the way. Yep—they're headed for marriage for sure. Amanda—you're amazing!'

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Sitting in the Smithsonian with the recovered disk—Billy addressed Scarecrow. "She's going to be just fine Lee."

Lee looked to where his partner had gone to phone for backup and replied confidently. "I know." He turned back to his boss. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like beer and steaks at Randy's." The two men laughed in quiet camaraderie.

Lee and Amanda started to round up the criminals as Billy was tended by the paramedics. Billy watched them. 'They're my best team—and they're getting better. Amanda used a weapon effectively—I think she would have shot him if he hadn't submitted. Or at least she made him believe that. That was her last barrier. Hopefully she will never kill anyone. Scarecrow is discharging his weapon less since she started using a weapon effectively. This is good. Less paperwork for the both of them. She will complete the freshman agent course with flying colors—if Beaman lives to the end of it. She's really challenging him. It's good for both of them.'

'I have to think about ways to give them time together. It has to be tough for her with the job and her family. I'll give them a three-day weekend—they deserve it after all the extra hours they put in on this one. As long as they keep it discreet and don't screw it up—they'll be fine. And if they do slip up—I'll be there to help them out. I owe both of them more than I can ever repay. So whatever they want for themselves—I'll do all I can.'

Photo Finish November 14, 1986

Billy fumed after Dr. Smyth left his office. 'The security board is getting ready to give Amanda King a letter. Meeting at 10. They're downgrading her security clearance. What the hell happened? I oversaw all her security reviews up to now. The woman is clean as a whistle. I've staked my life on that more than once. This is just too suspicious—coming during her training. Is someone inside the Agency trying to ruin her before she's fully certified? Wouldn't be the first time. Hopefully she and Scarecrow can get to the bottom of this. Because I can't lose my best team. And it will be the end of their relationship unless they both quit—and I won't have that. I need them working for me—together—and in the field.'

'I know Internal Review is an important part of this Agency—but nobody likes them. They poke into all of our lives looking for dirt. And when they find something it's all too often a fast railroad job. They give it a week or so and then they "close the case". So few agents ever get cleared—and that's not good. I know they're necessary—but sometimes they like to push their weight around just a bit too much. I'll do what I can to make sure Amanda King isn't railroaded on this one. It will do Frampton some good to get taken down a peg or two. Teach her a bit of humility.'

After Photo Finish November 14, 1986

Billy returned to his desk after Amanda had been reinstated and Ms. Frampton had apologized for the frame-up. 'I knew it had to be something like that. But how it came from outside—that's a new one. We shouldn't let the subjects of our security reviews know they're being evaluated by agent trainees. It lets outsiders know they're in a vulnerable position. Too much pressure could be applied—in too many ways.'

'Amanda managed to find the security breach and she and Scarecrow cleared her name at the same time. Too bad about the Green Dragon. He was off our radar for years—but he didn't deserve to die like that.' He shook his head. 'Anyone who knows Amanda King should know she'd never be anything like a campus radical. She was in a sorority for heaven's sake. I think the whole '60's thing passed her by. She never did drugs—didn't go to concerts—didn't protest. She got married while still in college and had her kids immediately after that. She didn't have time to do any protesting.'

'Once again—they managed to close the case and come out on top. Hopefully they'll get some private time to celebrate together. They deserve some good memories.'


	33. Chapter 33

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 33

The Man Who Died Twice November 21, 1986

Billy was in his office after the discussion of the Chinese Trade Fair. Lee had showed Billy a newspaper with house listings. He had asked Lee if they had a few too many zeroes in the price. Then he had laughed out loud at Lee looking at real estate. 'Studying architecture indeed! The man is nest building. It's such a change—so weird to see him all excited about buying a big house with room for horses…'

'He seems to be all excited about moving in with Amanda and her family—the whole package all at once! I wonder if he's thought it through. That's a lot to take on at once. He and Amanda are solid partners—they'll do fine. But he hardly knows her family. He only officially met Dotty during the Birol case. She's a good woman and she would welcome Lee into the family with open arms, but would Lee be able to deal with all that open affection? His mother has been dead for over 30 years—the man doesn't know how to relate to a mother.'

'And her boys—there might be a bit of resentment there. Their father has been back in town almost a year now. He sees the boys every other weekend—but Amanda has said he cancels fairly often, too. Will those boys welcome a new man into their life? Maybe they would do well to take it a bit more slowly. He needs to get to know her family—and they need to get to know him. He's been a loner for so long—it will be a big adjustment on everyone's part.'

'What am I thinking? Amanda will straighten him out pretty quick. She loves the man—and would give her life for him—but she also loves her family and always puts their welfare uppermost in her mind. She will understand how the boys might not welcome their mother marrying a new man in their life. She'll slow him down—and they'll take it a step at a time. They will date—and he'll come to the house and meet them before taking her out. He'll probably start coming over for meals—maybe a few afternoon family outings. He already watches the boy's games after school. Scarecrow thinks we don't know—but the random surveillance has pegged him at Bombers' games on more than one occasion. All that takes time—and it's good. Still—I'll have to try to work the surveillance so they miss the family interactions with Scarecrow. It's a tightrope dance—but my best team is certainly worth it.'

Need to Know December 5, 1986

Tri-Tanium hoax uncovered. Billy read the newspaper headline that featured Charlie Benton's story of the hoax and takedown of his boss—Raoul Nesbitt publisher of the Washington Telegram.

'We got very lucky on this one. Charlie called in Lee and Scarecrow took him seriously. If Nesbitt had managed to get that plutonium into the US supply of tri-tanium—the Star Wars defense plan would have been scrapped. And we'd be back to the old cold war without a chance at supremacy for another decade.'

'Lee killed Derek Fouts—that's another scum bag we can count out of the game. How the man managed to get ahold of plutonium… What am I saying? If there's a buyer and enough money—it'll come up on the market. It's our job to keep all that stuff secure. Now all I have to do is get Lee's arrests scrubbed from metro PD's records. Twice in one day! That's a record—even for Scarecrow. I thought Amanda was helping tone him down! But she wasn't there—so I guess it isn't anything she could have stopped.'

'Now what has happened to Lee on the personal front? He hasn't talked about houses any more—he's been all business lately. Well—except for Francine catching him and Amanda fighting over something up in the Q Bureau—in a very compromising position if her verbal report is to be believed. And they didn't bat an eye—either of them.' Billy shook his head. 'I guess they figure they don't need to pretend with us anymore. But no more house hunting. That's not a good sign—or maybe it is. Maybe Amanda managed to talk some sense into the man—make him slow down a bit.'

'Hopefully they can ease into her family situation slowly—Amanda knows Lee. She knows he needs to get used to the family lifestyle bit by bit. Not all at once like the man supposedly thinks he can do. His energy and enthusiasm are good traits for the job—but for family life he needs to learn to tone it down a bit. She'll help him. She has every reason to make it work. I'm rooting for you Amanda—you can do it.'

Santa's Got a Brand New Bag December 19, 1986

Billy was reviewing the reports from the Titan toy case. 'A major toy manufacturer was designing weapons-grade armaments right under our noses. And planning on selling them to the East Germans. I guess toys are much more than trucks and rubber dolls nowadays. With the new technology—the kids want their high-tech toys. But we have to make sure the country is secure. So now we have to start reviewing and investigating all the toy companies for any more setups like the one we busted at Titan. That will add a lot to our workload. But that's what we do. And all this computer technology is making it a whole new world for everyone.'

'We're just lucky Lee Stetson hates Christmas. If he hadn't been trying to duck out on all the holiday cheer he would have blown Bernie Jakes off. And Bernie was the in we needed to discover just exactly what Maxwell Falcon was doing there. I hope the judge is a bit lenient on Engel—the man is a spy and was trying to get technology that we restrict—but he could have shot Scarecrow while he was in the middle of all those kids—and he didn't. I guess the East Germans still respect Christmas.'

'Now if Lee can finally come to understand what the rest of us see in the holidays. He spending Christmas with Amanda and her family. If anything can make him see it—it's Amanda. I'm pleased he's finally easing himself into her family. They can get to know each other and become comfortable. That's the way to do it.'

'I wonder if Beaman made any headway with Francine? They went off for a talk—and they were gone an awfully long time. It would do her a world of good to finally hook up with someone reliable. Look at me—I'm becoming an old romantic. I guess Amanda King does that to me. She is so different from the rest of my agents here—and we're all lucky she is, too.'

Any Number Can Play January 2, 1987

Billy got off the phone with the CIA. 'The Berlin Shipment went off without a hitch. That's good. We weren't supposed to be involved—but when Amanda's mother gets mixed up in the case… Amanda's mother. In the middle of a case—again! It must be in their genetics. Good thing Amanda was able to get her to call me in—and we managed to set up the sting to catch Miles Trent, Eddinger, and the rest of his goons. That was a real neat setup there—blackmail for juicy information. Eddinger was selling to whoever would buy—but mostly the Soviet block. I was happy to help—Amanda's done so much for us over the years—it's nice to be able to repay that a bit.'

'That's a big leak we've managed to plug. With Eddinger and Trent talking they have tipped us to over a dozen other blackmail cases they ran. Everything from straight extortion for cash to vote peddling to espionage. I guess they took up where Rita Holden left off. Once the woman was in jail, there was a big hole in the blackmail market in DC. It never ends. In a town rife with politics, power and money it will never end. One group is stopped, and another springs up to take their place. It's job security for sure.'

'Amanda manages to balance her life at home and with the Agency very well. And now Lee is involved in that. Should make it easier for her—but it will be a challenge for Scarecrow. He's not had to sustain long-term relationships with anyone outside his contacts. Ever. Now he will participate in misdirecting Dotty and Amanda's boys. The IFF cover is a good one—and they can stick to that. Hopefully Lee won't treat it like a deep-cover mission. This is real life—and he needs to learn to deal with that.'

Promises to Keep January 9, 1987

Billy looked over the thick file provided by TP Aquinas. It was filled with dates, timetables, copies of information he had passed to Ramon Peralta. On the one hand—he was impressed with the scope and detail. On the other hand—he was ready to tear his hair out—what little he had left.

'It's bad enough we have to keep tabs on all the Agency employees—now it looks like we're going to have to keep tabs on all their friends and informants as well. How TP Aquinas managed to pull all this off—over five years—right under all our collective noses! Only this past week DEA managed to get a photograph of him with Peralta. Otherwise he's been operating totally under the radar.'

Billy sighed deeply. 'The man has been planning and executing this for longer than the five years he was in contact with Peralta. The death of his wife and son was tragic—the sort of gangland related collateral damage that occurs all-too-frequently these days. It's a hazard of big-city life sometimes. I would never have pegged Aquinas as the type to go for revenge in this way. He was a great instructor when he was with the Agency. His analyses and research were unparalleled. And he's been a valuable source for Scarecrow and this Agency since he quit.'

'So somehow he went from a researcher and analyst to a front-line player. We managed to get the review board to clear him—justifiable homicide. That took a bit of wrangling—with that bomb he managed to rig it was a clear case of premeditation. And Aquinas was all too willing to take whatever punishment he was given. That's a pretty heavy obsession. But everybody was so happy to be rid of Jordan once and for all—and we managed to capture Peralta and Foster as well as a few of their goons. The DC drug trade will be diminished for a long time. So Aquinas skates scot-free with justifiable homicide. I guess there is justice in the world.'

'Now what do I do about Smyth? He's been sticking his nose in my unit's operations way too much lately. First Stemwinder, then Birol, and now this—and he's been interfering on other cases as well. Maybe it's time for me to go up there and have it out with the man one-on-one. Either I run my field unit—or Smyth does. These parallel operations are going to blow up in our faces one of these days. On second thought, I'll think about it some more. Taking a lesson from Aquinas, I'll wait and have a good solid plan before I act.'

Rumors of My Death January 23, 1987

Billy checked over the stolen ISP for Lee Stetson. It was perfect in every detail—except one. 'I guess when Spickens made the duplicates—he couldn't go all the way.' Billy accessed the files for the four other ISP's Spickens had made. 'Sure enough—each differed in one small detail. One had a wrong digit in the social security number. Another had a different middle initial. And on Lee's he had a wrong birthdate. So Spickens had a way of telling the false ISP's from the real ones. Too bad we didn't notice that before.'

'Of course—just having the duplicate ISP floating around is enough to ground an agent. Stetson got very lucky on this one—actually he got lucky in the first place. If Spickens had managed to deliver those documents Scarecrow's wings would have been clipped six years ago.' Billy thought over the past six years. 'A lot of water under the bridge. Eric Jarvis might still be alive. Of course a lot of other good people would be dead if Scarecrow hadn't been there for them. That's a lot of cases that would have been different. And we wouldn't have Amanda King either.'

'Scarecrow without Amanda? Unthinkable—now. Sometimes one little thing can make a big change. Like a package that didn't get passed along.' Billy smiled. 'They have amazing luck—and I hope it never runs out. Because this Agency—and my unit—would be worse for their absence.'


	34. Chapter 34

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 34

Bad Timing February 6, 1987

Billy had just arrived at his office. He opened the door to see Amanda sitting in front of his desk.

"Good morning, sir." She greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Amanda—to what do I owe this early morning visit from you?"

"Well sir—I need to get Lee into Doc Kelford first thing."

"Why is that?"

"He was mugged on the way home last night. He wouldn't let me take him to a hospital—but he needs to be checked out. He got a big bump on his head."

"I see. Lee has the Counter-Intelligence conference this morning."

"I know. But he really needs to get checked out. I just have a feeling about it…" She wrung her hands and looked worried.

Billy smiled reassuringly. "I'll postpone the meeting for an hour. Once he arrives, you get him in to see the doctor. That should be enough time for him to check Lee out."

Amanda smiled in relief. "Thank you sir. It's just that he won't go in on his own, and if you help—well—then he has to go in to see the doctor."

"I can make it an order if you'd like."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary—but I'll call you if it is." Amanda smiled and left.

Billy sat at his desk. 'It must be pretty bad for Amanda to insist like that and have me postpone the meeting. Her hunches have paid off in the past—so I'll go along with this one. At the very least—the man gets checked out and we lose an hour.' He turned to the morning reports and put Scarecrow out of his mind.

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Late in the afternoon, Dr. Kelford called Billy down to his lab.

"Doc Kelford—what do you have?" Billy was wary—this couldn't be good.

"I examined Scarecrow this morning first thing. His partner brought him in and insisted he get checked out."

Billy nodded. "She came to me and told me she was planning on that."

"Good thing she did. I found a needle mark on his right thigh. I tested his blood and it seems he's been injected with PD2—it's a Russian germ warfare bug. A variant on pneumonic plague. It's a nasty one. Per standard procedure, I've called in Dr. McJohn—in the germ warfare unit. He's qualified to deal with this. I'm not."

"What's the prognosis?" Billy's heart sank as he asked.

"I'm not sure—but I think it's 100% fatal unless an antidote is administered. And so far as I know—we don't have the antidote. But McJohn will tell you more. He's coming here to debrief you. Time is of the essence in this."

Billy nodded slowly. "Thank you for your help. At least we know what we're dealing with now."

"Please let Scarecrow know—I'm sorry."

Billy nodded his acknowledgment as he left. 'PD2. 100% fatal without an antidote. My best agent—half of my best team and he is a walking dead man. How do I break it to him? I'll have to make the arrangements for Mrs. McMurty's. Maybe I can let Amanda be there with him. Some comfort that will be. But if he's going to die—at least she can be with him in his last few hours.'

Billy went to his office and checked—McJohn would be by in a couple of hours. 'I have to tell Lee about this and get him in for this meeting.' He picked up the phone—then put it back down.

'This sort of news shouldn't come over the phone. I'll give it to him in person—and drive him back to the Agency. He'll have to go into quarantine immediately afterward.' Billy bowed his head. 'They're planning on getting married—I know it. Why does this have to happen now? She may end up a widow before they've had the chance to tie the knot.'

He sighed heavily, and holstered his weapon. 'I'll stop by his place, but he won't be there. So I'll drive over to Amanda's and get Lee back here. Her family is out of town for the weekend—and he'll be at her place. I don't even have to call to check. They aren't bothering to hide it anymore.' He got up and made his way out to pick up his best agent—possibly for the last time.

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After Lee had left Billy's office to tell Amanda waiting up in the Q Bureau, Billy got on the phone. First he made the arrangements for Lee to be quarantined at Mrs. McMurty's. There was no problem allowing Amanda to be with him until he became contagious. Then he would have to be isolated. Once that was arranged, he rousted Edna DiAngelo in personnel with a phone call to her home.

"Edna—it's Billy Melrose. I need a big favor—and time is of the essence."

"What has happened?" She sounded a bit fuzzy—he had awakened her—but she was willing to listen.

"I can't give you any of the details—it's need-to-know."

"When isn't it need-to-know? What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to prepare as quickly as possible all the paperwork for Lee Stetson. He wants to assign a beneficiary for his life insurance policy—pension—all his financial holdings—the works."

"How quickly are we talking here?"

"Hours—if this could be finished by noon—I would be very grateful."

"Normally it would take days—but because he started the ball rolling a few months ago—I have everything right in my computer and up-to-date. I can come in early and print it all out. I'll call you when everything is ready. From your tone—I'm guessing things aren't looking good."

"I can't give you any details—but unofficially—no it isn't good."

She sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll do all I can for him."

"Thanks Edna—I owe you on this one."

Billy hung up the phone. 'This is a hell of a way to die. No way is good—but this is one of the worst. Poison, germ warfare, this stuff is the dirtiest. Facing an enemy—getting shot—at least you have a fighting chance there. But dying because of something in your body—something you can't see or fight. I just hope Amanda won't give up. She will have enough time to grieve after it's all over—if he doesn't survive. We still have a chance—but it doesn't look good.' He checked once again to make sure he had covered all the bases. Then he left to go up to the Q Bureau.

As he crossed the bullpen he was stopped by Francine.

"Billy—I have some information on Scarlet Rose."

"What?"

"I called around—rattled some cages—and I managed to find out the head of the group is Anatoli Doneck. He took it over three years ago. He's ramped up their research with an emphasis on developing pathogens that spread but break down after a few generations of transmission. Apparently he doesn't want to start another world-wide epidemic. Still, they have managed to develop quite a few deadly bugs—most of which are passed from a carrier with no symptoms. Once the carrier gets sick—the damage has already been done and the germ has been passed around."

"Lee tangled with Doneck a few years back."

"Yes he did. We thought the man had been put out to pasture—but apparently he just moved over into germ warfare."

"Good work, Francine. At least we now know who we're fighting against. Get me any information about Doneck's whereabouts and anything else you can find out about this PD2."

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Back in his office, Billy called Francine back in.

"Francine, Lee said he saw someone who used a cane and ran with a limp when he was mugged. Check it out. It might be Doneck. If he's here in DC he's probably overseeing this field test of PD2. I want to know when he arrived, where he's staying and what he's having for breakfast."

"Got it." She left.

'Amanda looked so forlorn. But she's holding up well. After three years I expect no less. This has to be a massive blow to her. Planning a wedding—and now she's contemplating a funeral. If Scarecrow dies—will she be able to carry on? Will she want to continue here at the Agency? She's a good agent—even if she hasn't graduated from the freshman classes yet. But Lee is her heart. They are so much in love—will she be able to continue if he dies? If it were Amanda looking at death—I know Scarecrow won't survive another loss like this. His field days would be over for sure.'

'Amanda is at the start of her career. Will she want to continue? She's worked so hard to get where she is. All I can do is hope—hope that Lee survives—somehow. And if he doesn't survive—I can still hope Amanda will want to stay with us. She's an asset I don't want to lose—even if we do lose her partner.'

Billy shook his head and got back on track. 'I can't think that way—I have to work with what I have—and right now we have to track Doneck—find out how we can get the antidote to PD2—and pray to God that we get a miracle and Lee Stetson comes out of this one alive.'

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Billy thought furiously as he drove to the meeting place Lee had designated. I should have checked the man before he left for Mrs. McMurty's—frisked him and removed any gadgets he managed to squirrel away—I thought he'd stay there—especially with Amanda with him. Apparently she isn't following the rules anymore—at least when it doesn't suit her. He's looking at another D1—unless I can manage to hold the dogs off a bit longer. He only has'—Billy looked at his watch—'a little more than 13 hours left.' He sighed. 'I hope he's managed to come up with something that will allow me to justify allowing him out in the world. Because otherwise I'll have to bring him in myself—with a bullet if necessary. And I hate shooting my friends.'

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Billy drove back to the Agency after the meeting with Lee. 'That dead man's watch was a good idea. I'll have to discipline Leatherneck for going behind my back once this is all over—if I remember. I'll start a diversion with smoke and mirrors—and that should buy Lee the 12 hours he needs to try to get to Doneck. It's probably a suicide mission—but he's earned the right, I guess. I'll keep Lee's codes and clearances active—that way he can remotely access our computer network. That should give him a bit of an edge.'

He fingered the key Lee had given him. 'I hold half of his life in my hand. Amanda has the other half. Really she should have both keys. If anyone has earned the right to give him a reprieve—it's Amanda. If I get the chance—I'll give her my key. She'll be with him and there's no guarantee I'll be anywhere around when 11:30 comes. She knows if he becomes contagious it's all over. She wouldn't risk anyone else by letting him live. And it's probably better if he goes quickly with the cyanide. Pneumonic plague is an ugly death. Damn—the rotten choices we have to make. But it's the nature of the business—and we take the bad with the good. Only this time—it looks all bad. But he has another 12 hours—so I hope to God he manages to work a miracle and get that antidote in time.'

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Billy and Amanda were in his car as he drove her back to her house after his second meeting with Lee.

"Thank you for your help, Billy. I know Lee appreciates it—and I do too."

"I owe Lee—and you—a lot. This is just a down payment."

"We have to hope he can get the antidote in time. That's about all that's keeping me going right about now."

Billy looked over at Amanda. She was staring out the window—but she wasn't seeing anything on the road. "He has us helping him. He knows what he needs to get the job done. And our support will make all the difference here."

"I know. But he wants to do this by himself. I don't think it will turn out so well if he goes in there alone." She looked at him with wide scared eyes.

"I hear you." He took a breath. "I think I'll put myself on that team. Two have a better chance than one."

"Yeah." She took a deep breath and spoke. "You've been a good friend to Lee—to both of us. I know everything you've done trying to keep us together all these years. I really appreciate it. Thank you, sir."

Billy smiled. 'Even in the face of losing him—she's still gracious. But I have to let her know the reality—even if it's hard.' "Amanda—you know if he becomes contagious it's all over."

"Yeah, I know."

"Pneumonic plague is an ugly death."

She just nodded.

"The dead man's watch is probably his best choice—it's quick and clean. He'd rather go that way than in an isolation ward—fighting for each breath until the end."

"I know." She drew a shaky breath. Then she went on sounding much calmer. "But I still think we have a chance—if the three of us can manage to somehow get that antidote—you have Dr. McJohn standing by, right?"

"He has three teams working around the clock—if we get the formula he should be able to put something together within minutes."

"Then we have a chance. When do you think you will have what Lee has requested?"

"I plan to be at your place by 6."

"OK, I'll tell him. Thank you again, sir. No matter what happens—I appreciate all you've done for Lee—for us both." She leaned over and kissed Billy's cheek as she got out of the car. "See you at 6."

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Billy returned to the Agency—preparing for his 4pm conference call with Dr. Smyth. His leg still hurt—he'd be a while healing—but all in all it was well worth it. 'We managed to get to Doneck and we now have the antidote to PD2. After this fiasco—Doneck will be thoroughly discredited. And I still have my best team—both of them—alive and healthy.'

'I told them they were turning into a very effective team. They are my best team—they have been for a couple of years now. And they have some guardian angels watching out for them. This is a close as it has come for them. We almost lost Lee. Thank God Amanda thought to come into the embassy to remove the watch. Now they can get married—whenever they have the time.'

'They have put in for vacation the week after next. Most partners take vacations at the same time. But I wonder if this vacation won't be something a bit special for them. Could they finally be getting married? I'm not going to ask or pry—they deserve their privacy. Still—I can hope.'

'Smyth will chew my butt for a while—he has to get his pound of flesh. But we got the antidote—we discredited Doneck—Scarecrow's alive and well—my best partnership is intact. Yeah I got shot—but it'll heal cleanly. And the Soviets can't officially squawk about their embassy—after all they were the ones who were testing their germ warfare agents on our people in the first place. So it's stalemate there. All-in-all we've come out of this with a lot more than we had before. Smyth'll rant for a while—then tell me to pass on a 'well done—don't ever do that again.' The man is so predictable. Now my biggest worry is to keep their marriage—whenever it happens—off the radar. I may have paid some of my debt to those two back—but there's a lot more I still owe them. So I'll keep covering for them—it's the least I can do.'


	35. Chapter 35

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 35

Do You Take This Spy? February 13, 1987

Billy was back at his desk after wrapping up the Nick Grant case. He shook his head. 'This must be some sort of cosmic payback—Nick Grant finally falls in love for real, and she plays him for a sucker. Well, Felicia McMasters will be spending quite a bit of time in prison.'

Billy's mind shifted gears. 'Lee and Amanda seemed awfully eager to start their 'trips' today. They even left before finishing the paperwork—though Amanda had finished everything as far as she could before they left in the limo.' He glanced down at the partially finished report and notes Amanda had left on his desk before they had dressed and made their way to McMasters' estate earlier in the afternoon.

'They left together. Fast.' He recalled her words to her partner. "Quarter of—you think we can make it?" 'Obviously they had some pressing appointment they had to make in time. But what—and where? I could trace the limo—but that would be invading their privacy. I wonder if they are actually taking the plunge? On Friday the thirteenth?' He shrugged. 'Considering what they've been through in the past couple of months—I guess they don't care about anything except finally getting away together.'

He smiled and mentally raised a toast to his favorite team. 'Congratulations you two. I hope you have a wonderful vacation—together!'

Mission of Gold February 20, 1987

Monday early afternoon, Billy was in his office with Francine, his assistant. They had been working out the duty roster for the next few weeks. It was a difficult week with both Lee and Amanda gone on their trips. So Billy and Francine were strategizing on filling the gap in their manpower the absence of his best team caused.

The phone rang—and it was Lee. The conversation was brief and extremely disturbing. Amanda had been shot—in California. Lee had been contacted by Dotty and was now on scene. Her condition was critical and it was touch and go. Dotty was coming out ASAP. Billy promised Lee he'd get whatever resources the Agency could muster and told his top agent to keep them in the loop.

Once Francine left—Billy started thinking. 'He says Dotty contacted him—but how did Dotty know to get ahold of him? I just wonder…' Billy called a friend at the phone company—the same friend who had 'loaned' him the pole truck when he was watching Cyclops.

"Hey Clyde." Billy started his investigation.

"Hey Billy—what's up?"

"Clyde—I need a bit of quick and quiet trace on calls to and from a number in Arlington—the past 12 hours." He gave Clyde Amanda's home number.

Billy heard a bit of tapping and a few musical tones on the line. "Got it. What are you looking for?"

"I want to know if there were any calls from California."

"From California—yes. At 12:32 pm local time—that's 9:32 am California time. From a small seaside community—Las Palmas. You want the local number? It was from a pay phone—located in the hospital." He gave Billy the number.

'A pay phone? That's interesting.' Billy thought. He then asked his contact. "What was the next call?"

"The next call was to an airline. It lasted approximately 20 minutes. Then another call to a local number—a business—the Emergency Aid Organization."

"I see. Any others?"

"Yeah a few—all local calls. Residential."

"I see. Any calls before that one from California?" Billy wanted to be sure.

"Not today. There were a couple last night—you want those?"

"No thanks—so the call from the pay phone in the hospital in Las Palmas was the first call today?"

"Yes. And the rest have all been outgoing since that first call."

"Thank you Clyde, I really appreciate this. I owe you one." Billy hung up and mused. 'Someone called the house from a pay phone in Las Palmas' hospital. And then Dotty called the airline—presumably to make a reservation—and then Joe to watch the boys while she's out of town. I'm guessing it was Lee that contacted Dotty—and not the other way around. I knew they were going on vacation together—and that's great—except somehow Amanda ended up shot and in critical condition in a California hospital. But Amanda's not the type to go off on vacation with anyone—not the type of vacation Scarecrow takes—unless they were married. And now I've got to track that down—because if something does happen to her—God forbid—I have to have all my ducks in a row to deal with the consequences. I had hoped they would come to me and tell me what they were planning—and maybe they were going to after they got back. But I need to know now.'

Billy called down to research. "I need to trace any charges on Lee Stetson's credit cards since Thursday. Top priority—but keep it quiet."

"One moment sir." Billy heard himself being put on hold by the woman who had answered. He busied himself with paperwork until the line clicked again. "I have charges for a room and meals at the Crystal Springs Inn in Marion County Virginia. Then a rental car at LAX."

"Thank you—send me the particulars and I'll sign off on the log on this one. Keep this 'eyes only' and notify me if anyone else makes a similar request—got it?"

"Yes sir. 'Eyes only'—and nobody knows but us two."

"Thanks." He hung up and immediately dialed another number.

"T Percival Aquinas, at your service."

"Hello, TP, It's Billy Melrose."

"Well Hello! I'm guessing this isn't a social call."

"No it isn't. I need someone to do a bit of legwork—but unofficially, if you get my meaning."

"I see. Would you like to share a late lunch?"

"Yes—as soon as possible."

TP suggested his favorite ice cream parlor and Billy met him about 30 minutes later. TP was enjoying some sort of multi-hued sundae with a generous amount of whipped cream on top.

"Hello TP."

"Hello Billy—are you interested in a sundae? They are amazingly inspirational."

"No thanks—my wife would kill me. I'm supposed to be on a diet." He patted his stomach. He slipped TP a manila envelope. "I need you to go to Marion County and check out the Crystal Springs Inn—and also anyone who might have performed a wedding there—on Friday or over the weekend."

TP opened the envelope and peeked inside. He saw a picture of Lee and Amanda. He closed the envelope and nodded to Billy. "I can see why you might want to keep this unofficial."

"My home number is in there. I should be home after 6 or so."

"I'll get right on this—I had hoped something might be brewing—but our boy keeps things so close to the vest. Why are you checking now?"

Billy sighed. There was no good way to break the news. "There's been a shooting—out in California. Amanda was shot and she's in the hospital. It's touch and go."

"Mrs. King—ah well I suppose it's still Mrs. King until we know officially—she was shot? In California? Were they on a case?—of course if I have no need to know…" He looked concerned.

"They weren't on a case. Scarecrow told me Amanda's mother contacted him—but in reality he called her. They went out there together—on vacation." Billy's heart contracted at the implications—they were on their honeymoon and Amanda had been shot. This was not looking good for Lee.

"Oh dear. That's most unfortunate." TP looked grave.

"Anything you can do to keep this under wraps would be greatly appreciated."

"I owe them both a lot—after clearing me of the murder charges for Ramon Peralta. I'll leave right away and call you this evening with whatever I find. I'll get you proof—if there is any. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep this quiet—short of expunging the records. However you never know—official records can so often be mis-filed in these small towns…" TP smiled a small sneaky smile.

"Just don't let anyone know what you're doing."

"Melrose, I am the soul of discretion. And I'll say a prayer or two for Mrs. King's recovery. She doesn't deserve this."

"Neither of them do. I'll await your call. Thanks, TP."

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Late that evening, Billy answered the phone at his home.

"Melrose here."

"Ah, Billy. I have had a delightful evening here in rural Virginia. Magistrate Tagsworth was a charming dinner companion. He related a tale of a couple—not young—in their 30's who were his last wedding on Friday. They were late—but not too late. They managed to make it in time and he married them Friday afternoon—about 5:45pm. I have copies of the paperwork to confirm. I also managed to allow him to give me access to the county records tomorrow. I'm researching Civil War era genealogies—and it seems this was one of the few courthouses that was spared during the war."

"I see. Send me all the receipts for your little excursion—I'll be happy to cover any expenses you've incurred."

"Yes—shall we meet again—say Thursday? For lunch?"

"Right. Thursday it is. Melrose out."

Billy sat back and thought long and hard. 'Well congratulations to you Amanda! You managed to make an honest man out of our Scarecrow. Good for you! And I'll still back them to the hilt as my best team. I won't let Smyth or anyone break them up as long as they want to stay partners. The guardian angel that brought them together has to keep her alive, if there is a God. I just hope and pray that she can recover fully and be back in the field with him as soon as she's able. She will recover—their luck has held for over three years—so it will hold now. I have to believe that.'

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Tuesday and Wednesday were tense—everyone in the unit was seemingly awaiting news of Amanda's condition. No change was the continual report.

Francine had coordinated information with the hospital's billing office, and made a friend who was filling her in on the latest information as it came down. She told Billy and he let the rest of his unit know.

When Amanda coded late Wednesday everyone was tense. Then they heard—she had been revived and was alive—though still in critical condition. Billy noticed people from all over the Agency were casually dropping by the bullpen, asking about Amanda's condition. 'She is certainly a popular person here. She makes friends with everyone she meets. She's got to pull through this. Because if she dies—I lose two agents. And that just isn't right. So she has to pull through—please God—let her pull through.'

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Early Thursday Lee got a break in the case. He managed to tie Amanda's shooting to a phony doubloon scam that was a cover for the Harper's Ferry gold heist from the Federal Reserve a couple years back. Scott had been suspected then—but the gold had never surfaced. Now it had—in the form of gold doubloons supposedly found off the coast of California. He managed to nail Scott and get him behind bars.

Billy thought back to Scarecrow's call earlier in the day. "It's always been Amanda and me. She's got enough to do right now." Lee had sounded tired but determined. 'He's managing to hold it together. Working this case is probably the best thing for him. He's not the type to be able to sit and wait in a hospital. And Dotty is there to be with Amanda.' Billy shook his head. 'What a change—'It's always been Amanda and me.' No it hasn't 'always been Amanda and me'—it wasn't that long ago he'd have screamed to high heaven if anyone characterized it as 'always Amanda and him.' He used to be the consummate loner. And now look at the man—he's newly married and going all out to catch the man who shot his new bride. I just hope his new bride survives. She's still alive—her doctor said she's a fighter—and a fighting spirit is often what makes the difference in these cases. Keep fighting, Amanda. You will make it. You have to make it. For Lee's sake—for all our sakes.'

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Thursday at lunch, Billy met with TP. TP passed him a manila envelope. Billy peeked inside and saw an official copy of a marriage license. Lee Hamilton Stetson and Amanda West King were the names listed. He didn't need to see any more.

"I managed to get a lot of research done on some of the Civil War era families in the area. Are you aware that a family named Stetson had holdings in the area?"

"Really?" Billy was surprised. He knew Lee's father had been from an old family with roots to the Civil War and beyond. But in the Marion area?

"It seems to have been a cadet branch." TP answered Billy's unasked question. "At any rate—a certain document may have been placed with those records. It has been officially filed—so the marriage is legal—but anyone looking for proof will have to do a whole lot of digging to find it. And the photograph at the Magistrate's office has mysteriously disappeared along with the negative." TP tapped the manila envelope to indicate where those items had ended up.

"That's good work. I presume your receipts are also in there?"

"What receipts? I had a delightful few days—I did some valuable research and had a pleasant drive down and back. Think of all this as a wedding gift to the happy couple." He smiled. Then his demeanor turned serious. "How is Mrs. King? Any change in her condition?"

Billy sighed. "She's still alive and holding her own. She coded yesterday but she was revived and is no worse."

"But no better either, it would seem. I'll keep praying for her. They have an amazing amount of luck—so I am confident she'll pull through." TP tried to put the best face on the situation.

"Yes—she'll pull through." Billy hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

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Late Thursday evening Billy received a call at his home. It was Lee.

"Billy—she's regained consciousness. She's going to be OK." He sounded like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"That's great. How is her mother doing?" 'Your new mother-in-law.' Billy thought with great amusement.

"Dotty's all full of plans to get Amanda up and back on her feet."

"That's good. What's her prognosis?"

Lee sighed. "It will take time. She's got to stay here for a few weeks at least—she can't take a plane trip just yet. Dotty will stay out here—I guess Joe and a couple of Amanda's aunts are all lined up to take care of the boys until Dotty can return to DC. Hopefully with Amanda. After that—it will be a while before she's back to full strength. But she will recover—it will just take some time." He sounded determinedly hopeful.

"That's good. Maybe I can send some of the written class material out there for her to study while she convalesces. She's almost done with her training."

"Yeah—that might be nice—but we'll have to hide it from Dotty."

"I'll see what I can do about that. Oh, and don't worry about the insurance—Francine's made all the arrangements—there will be no out-of-pocket costs for Amanda."

"Gee, tell her thanks—I hadn't thought about any of that."

"You had other things to think about."

"Yeah." He paused for a moment. "Billy—I'll admit—I was scared. What if I had lost her…"

"We can't play 'what if', Scarecrow. She's fine, and that's what you have to concentrate on now. Helping her get well again." Billy sounded matter-of-fact—but he realized Lee needed that sort of reassurance. Not playing to his fears.

"Yeah. You're right there. Say—about my vacation time…"

"You're due back in the office on Monday."

"Is there any way I can stretch my vacation out another week at least?" Lee pleaded.

Billy smiled and thought—'how times have changed.' He replied. "I guess under the circumstances I can grant you some more time. How long you'll get—I can't make any promises. I'll let you know. Oh—and Amanda's on medical leave as of last Monday—so she still has that week of vacation she had planned on taking."

"Thanks, Billy. She'll probably want to take it later sometime…"

"Probably." He replied dryly. 'They'll want to have some sort of honeymoon after she's recovered. They only had the weekend before she was shot.'

"Look, I've gotta go. I'll say goodnight to Amanda for you before going back to Barney's. Dotty is staying in the local motel. It's right by the hospital. I'll call tomorrow and give you any more information I can get."

"Keep me apprised. And tell Amanda we were all pulling for her. I imagine the flowers and cards will start coming fast and furious now that she's out of the woods."

"Tell everyone thanks—for both of us."

"Will do." They hung up.

Billy breathed a deep sigh of relief. 'She's going to recover. Thank God for that. Lee will be gone another week—more changes in the duty roster—and Amanda will probably be out at least two months. Then light duties until she's finally cleared for active status. But my best team will be back to duty soon enough. I can keep Lee on light solo work until she returns. And I'd better plan on him being in California every weekend until she returns home. Maybe I can see to giving him a few light assignments out there. Our LA bureau could use a lookover—and he'd be a good one to size up the operation out there. Do an informal assessment of that office. Maybe I can still get some useful work out of him while she's there. Because his heart will be out in California until she returns home.'

Billy bowed his head and breathed a fervent prayer of thanks that Amanda would recover.


	36. Chapter 36

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 36

AN—So far I've worked hard to stay within canon. However—nobody can recover from an injury like Amanda sustained and be back at full strength in a week. It would take months. Even though One Flew East aired Feb 27th—a week after Mission of Gold—I am placing it in a 'more real' timeline as April 30th—two months later. And that is short—but we can believe that date more than we can a week. So read the interim entries—and know One Flew East will be coming—just on April 30th over 11 weeks after she was shot, which is a lot more reasonable. E

February 24, 1987

Billy called Lee at Barney's.

"Good evening, Scarecrow."

"Hi Billy, how are things going back there?"

"It's been a scramble rearranging the duty roster to account for your and Amanda's absences. How's she doing?"

"She's doing well—the doctors are astounded. She is able to get to and from the bathroom on her own. They say she can start physical therapy tomorrow. Maybe get back to Arlington weekend after next if she keeps up this pace."

"That's great. I knew she had it in her. Of course she has a whole lot to fight for." Billy left the leading statement out there hoping Lee would offer the information that he and Amanda had gotten married on the 13th.

"Yeah." Lee was silent for a few beats. "She sure does—her mother is a great help and her boys miss her a whole lot. They talk twice a day."

Billy was disappointed. But he'd keep trying. "That's very good. I trust the gifts and cards arrived OK."

"Yeah—we sent some of the flowers down to other patients—the room was beginning to look like a greenhouse! Dotty has been wonderful in getting all the thank-you cards out. I wasn't aware you needed to send thank-you cards in situations like this…"

Billy chuckled inwardly. 'He's getting his education in normal family life, all right.' "It's a custom in polite society." He replied dryly. Then he changed the subject. "I have an assignment for you."

"What? I thought I had more vacation here…"

"You've gotten two extra days. Be happy with that. Besides, I think you'll appreciate the assignments I've lined up for you for the next week and a half."

Lee sighed heavily. "What is it?"

"Our LA bureau operates pretty autonomously. But every so often I like to send someone out there. For the rest of the week—I need you to go there and check the place out. Talk to whoever you need to—noodle around in their files—get to know as many of the agents as possible. I want a field agent's perspective on the place with an eye to how things might be improved—for efficiency and better use of personnel. Think you can manage that, Scarecrow?"

"Yeah—sure! Thanks Billy—I'll do whatever it takes. I really appreciate it!"

"Don't get too enthusiastic until you hear what I have in store for next week— I will have your itinerary sent to LA. Monday and Tuesday you'll be in San Francisco—I want you to check out a few places there. Then Wednesday through Friday you'll be in Seattle doing the same thing. There are a few companies I want you to pay close attention to. I need your expertise and perspective out there."

"San Francisco and Seattle. I can manage that." Lee sounded positive about the assignments.

"I thought you might. Then after that you'll return to DC."

"Thanks for this Billy—I really appreciate it. I can stay with Barney while I'm working in LA. And I can come back to Las Palmas after I'm finished in Seattle."

"What you do with your spare time isn't my business—unless you're up to something I should know about."

"Just watching out for my partner. Making sure she's getting the best care."

"Your … partner. That's commendable, Scarecrow. Anything else you think I need to know while you're at it?" Billy gave the man one last chance to come clean.

"Not that I can think of. I'll tell Amanda you said hello. And she'll be happy that I can be around for the rest of the week."

"I imagine she will be. Keep me posted on her progress and when she'll be coming back to DC. We can have a car pick you all up at the airport."

"Thanks—will do." They ended their call.

Billy sat back. 'He's going to keep their marriage a secret for the time being, I guess. I had hoped he'd tell me so I could help them openly. Now I have to be covert about it. Apart from a brief status report Smyth hasn't asked about Amanda at all. Once it became clear she would survive he went on to other things. Which is for the best. I don't need him nosing around in her life at all. Keeping Scarecrow out on the West coast took a bit of ingenuity—but it's high time someone checked up on LA and having him visit a few of the more sensitive businesses out there won't hurt either. I'd be happier if I had both of them doing this—but Scarecrow is a competent agent—and he needs to ramp things down a bit until his partner recovers. He won't be getting a lot of sleep in the next week and a half, but he'll be in the same time zone and they can talk to their heart's content. Plus he'll be with her for the weekends. It's the best I can do—and they deserve a break.'

March 7th, 1987

Billy answered his phone on a Saturday evening. "Melrose here."

"Hey Billy!" It was Scarecrow.

"Scarecrow! How is your partner doing?"

"We're coming home tomorrow. We'll arrive at 3:42pm at Dulles."

"That's great. I'll have a car and driver waiting for you all."

"Thanks. The doctors say Amanda's doing very well. She's healing really fast. Of course it will be another couple months until she's ready to go back in the field. But she'll be at home—and she sure misses her boys."

"I imagine she does. See if you can get her in to see our doctors on Monday or Tuesday. They can evaluate her condition and design a physical therapy regimen for her."

"That might be a bit difficult, Billy." Lee sounded wary.

"Why?"

"Dotty has a bunch of doctors all lined up for her in Arlington—her doctor at home and friends recommended them and she plans to be with Amanda every step of the way. I don't think you want Dotty coming down to IFF while Amanda gets checked out by our people."

Billy sighed. "No I don't. Can you get me their names? Hopefully we can arrange a few consults and our people can go there to her 'regular' appointments as colleagues. But we do need to have her checked out by our people."

"I know, Billy. I'll give a list to the driver. I'll talk to Amanda about it. Maybe she can think of something. She's got a lot more experience dealing with Dotty than I have."

"Yes she does. OK, when I get the list I'll have Doc Kelford coordinate what we can."

"Thanks Billy—see you Monday morning."

"See you then, Melrose out."

Billy hung up the phone. 'Amanda has to see our people to get her physical therapy regimen. Maybe we can persuade some of her other doctors to send her our way. We can steer her to the NEST team—usually they only deal with acute care—but they can help consult and recommend good people for her to work with who might mutually deal with her other doctors.'

'This would be so much easier if everyone knew they were married. Then Lee could step in and see Amanda got the care she needs. And Dotty would probably be all too happy to let him. Instead we have to do a tap dance with consults and recommendations. If we work it as a requirement for her insurance through IFF—we can probably manage more that way. I'll have Francine and Kelford coordinate all that.'

'At least I'll have Scarecrow back in DC. I'll have him write up reports on his last week and a half of assignments and put him up as available for light duties as well. He can pick up the slack if anyone needs help. But he won't be leading any cases for the time being. He'll be too distracted until his partner—and wife—is back by his side. Hopefully they will see fit to tell me about their marriage after she's settled back in at home. Maybe I can manage to visit some evening, when Dotty and her boys are out.'

March 13, 1987

Doc Kelford and Francine were in Billy's office reporting on Amanda's first week back at home after she had been shot out in California.

"We managed to get her to our people after forcefully working the insurance angle with Mrs. West. That woman is a pit bull when it comes to the welfare of her daughter." Francine sounded exasperated.

"She's concerned for her—as we all are Francine." Billy tried to smooth things over for his prickly assistant. He turned to the Agency doctor. "What's her prognosis, doc?"

Dr. Kelford held up a copy of Amanda's chart but spoke from memory. "She was very lucky. Her surgeon in California is a genius. How someone with that level of skill is wasting away in a little place like Las Palmas is beyond me—but he definitely saved her life. She is healing remarkably well. He used a few advanced techniques that should minimize the scar and also allow her to heal faster. The bullet pierced the pericardium, but her heart and lungs were not damaged. That's working in her favor. And she was in excellent health when it happened. She's strongly determined to work hard at the physical therapy and recover quickly. I worry she may be pushing herself a bit much—but it seems she's doing OK—so I'm happy with her progress."

"When can we expect her to be able to return to work?" Billy asked.

"At the rate she's going it could be the beginning of May—which is remarkable. Usually I'd say it would be three months at least—but she was lucky and is working very hard. I expect she could be cleared for light duties a week or two before that."

"That's good. She can do paperwork to get back into the swing of things and then go back in the field once she's fully cleared."

"What about her training classes, Billy?" Francine asked.

"How far had she gotten before she got shot?"

Francine consulted a list. "Beaman said she's only got a few written tests left. The rest of her class has graduated already."

Billy nodded. "We can get her to take those tests sometime between now and when she's cleared for light duties. We'll have a graduation ceremony when she returns."

"If she passes." Francine added.

"She'll pass, Francine. Have you seen her marks? She's gotten the highest scores of any freshman agent trainee since you went through the course."

"But I'll still have the all-time high grades there." Francine preened.

Billy shook his head. "She certainly hasn't had what anyone would call a normal progression through the ranks here. OK, keep monitoring her progress you two, and let me know if there's anything I need to do."

Francine and Dr. Kelford left Billy's office. 'May. That's a remarkably short time. But Amanda's one stubborn woman—and she worries if Lee's out there without her to watch his back. I think I'll plan a nice graduation party up in the Q Bureau to celebrate her return. She got her training in an unorthodox way—and she's graduating on her own. Well, now she'll be a full agent. And she's definitely earned it. It only took over three and a half years…'

March 15, 1987

Billy rang the doorbell. He was not surprised to see Lee open the door.

"Billy! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Amanda's doing while her family is out."

"Yeah—Dotty took the boys to the movies so Amanda could have a bit of quiet time."

"I won't stay long, if that's what you're worried about."

"Lee—who is it?" Amanda called from the family room.

Billy and Lee came in to see Amanda stretched out on the couch.

"Hello Amanda." Billy greeted her.

"Billy—it's good to see you! Thank you for stopping by." Amanda made to get up, and Billy waved her back down.

"I won't be here long. I waited until your family was out to come visit." He handed her a bunch of flowers.

"These are beautiful—thank you sir." She smiled broadly at him. Lee took the flowers and busied himself getting a vase and water. Billy noted he knew where everything was.

Billy saw Amanda still looked pale and she had lost weight—which was not good on her small frame. But her smile was bright and she seemed in good spirits. "I also brought a few things pertaining to your training classes." He handed her a folder. "There are the last few tests you have to take. Once you've completed them—you can graduate and become a fully-fledged field agent."

"Don't you mean once I've passed the tests?"

"I know you'll pass. Anyhow—take them whenever you think you're ready. And Lee can bring them back to be scored."

"I missed the graduation ceremony. It was last week, right?"

"Yes—the rest of your class had their graduation ceremony last week. They will start their new assignments this week."

Amanda nodded sadly. "I guess I messed things up, getting shot."

"A—man—da!" Lee sounded exasperated—like they had this argument several times already. "Getting shot was a fluke—and definitely not your fault. It happens—so we just get you well again, and life will go on like it was before."

Amanda looked up at Lee and looked like she was going to say something—then she just smiled at him and took his hand. "Right." She turned to her boss. "I'm working hard at all the exercises they've given me. I appreciate having the Agency people helping with this. I tried to get mother to agree to them in the beginning, but I couldn't do a lot without blowing the Agency's cover."

"Fortunately we had Francine to help with that." Billy smiled in reply.

Amanda shook her head. "I hope she'll forgive me for it."

Billy sat across from Amanda and Lee sat next to her on the couch.

"I talked with Doc Kelford Friday. He says you're making a remarkable recovery."

"Am I? It feels like its taking forever."

"It always does, Amanda." Lee replied. They had been over this as well.

Billy continued. "Yes. I'm glad you're working hard—but I would hope that you're also taking time to rest. You need to rest just as much as you need to work on the exercises you've been given."

"I know—but I just worry about Lee being out in the field without me to watch his back."

"Scarecrow was doing reports for most of the week."

"Except for that courier job you gave him on Thursday." She gave Lee a look.

"That went down fine—the information got exchanged and nobody ended up dead." Lee sounded defensive.

"But you were shot at." She gave him a stern look.

"But I wasn't hit—that guy couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

Billy jumped in. "Be that as it may—everything turned out fine. So you have nothing to worry about."

Amanda shrugged. "I still worry."

"Hopefully you will concentrate on getting well—and then you'll be back in the field before you know it." Billy smiled reassuringly.

"Did Doc Kelford say when I could get back?" Amanda sounded a bit fearful about it.

"Let's worry about your getting better, first. I think you will be cleared for light duties before you're cleared to go back in the field. And your … partner is piling up a mountain of paperwork for you to get through—not to mention all the rest of the things I have for you to do. The place hasn't been the same without you, Amanda. We're all very glad you pulled through."

"Thank you, sir. The flowers and cards and gifts were very nice. It helped to know people back home were pulling for me."

"We all were. It's a shame you missed your vacation—but you still have the accrued time—as you were shot Monday morning you were on sick leave all week. So you didn't use any vacation time at all. Hopefully you managed to do something fun over that weekend?" Billy laid out the leading statement hoping his best team would be forthcoming about their marriage.

Lee and Amanda exchanged a look. Then she replied. "I got to do a little sightseeing so the trip wasn't a total waste." She smiled a bit too brightly after her statement.

Billy nodded. "I see. Well. I should be going." He stood. "You need your rest and I've got to be getting back home. Jeannie's planning a big Sunday dinner. Don't get up, Amanda. I'll keep in touch."

"Thank you sir. Goodbye." She waved at him from the couch.

Lee escorted Billy out. Once they were out on the front step, Lee asked a question. "Billy—did Doc Kelford say anything definite about her return to work? Will she be able to get cleared for field duty again?"

"Yes he did—he thinks she'll be able to be cleared and be back in the field—hopefully in May."

"May!"

"Yes—but I want her to take it at the pace the doctors set. Doc Kelford's worried she's trying a bit too hard. It's only been a month since she was shot. And we almost lost her. So please, try to get her to rest now and again."

"Yeah—you try to get her to rest. She's so stubborn…" He ran his hand through his hair.

"Like someone else I know. You two are a pair! Now you know what she goes through every time you end up in the hospital."

"Yeah, I get the point, Billy."

"You two both get some rest. She's doing fine—and neither of you need to worry."

"Thanks Billy."


	37. Chapter 37

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 37

April 13, 1987

Billy was up in the Q Bureau, putting candles on a cake. It seemed silly, putting candles on a graduation cake—but he thought Amanda deserved the very best. And she had been at the Agency for over three and a half years, so he was proud to put four candles on her cake. It was early—but he had managed to gather several of their co-workers who were hiding in the vault. Lee was bringing her up—and he was waiting to surprise her on her first day back at work after the shooting. And her marriage.

As he waited he thought about his best team. 'They were married two months ago today—and despite repeated opportunities and some pretty big hints, neither has breathed a word to me about it. I guess they plan to keep it a secret. I wish they'd at least share it with me—I do know how to keep a secret or two. And I could help them—unofficially of course—if they needed anything. They're making it awfully difficult for themselves—and the shooting didn't help that at all.'

'But they've survived an awful year. First Stemwinder—going on the run accused of treason; then Birol and what he did to Amanda; then Doneck and PD2—Lee nearly didn't make it there. And after all that they still got married. Then Amanda is shot on their honeymoon and nearly dies. That one was closer than any of the others. But she survived—and she's made a remarkable recovery—and now she's back at work on light duties. But in two weeks she will be cleared for field duty again—and their partnership will continue.'

He heard footsteps outside the door and he positioned himself in front of the cake. The door opened, and Billy greeted his favorite team. "Good morning, you two. Welcome back, Amanda. We've all missed you."

"Thank you sir. I'm really glad to be back." She smiled and gave her boss a hug.

"Surprise!" everyone shouted and poured out of the vault.

"Oh my gosh—what's this?" Amanda looked around in surprise.

"This is a graduation party. Congratulations Amanda, you are as of now a fully-fledged field agent." Billy was beaming.

Beaman handed her a certificate. "You graduated top of your class."

"Wow! Thank you Ephram. You are a very good teacher." She took the certificate.

"Don't kid yourself, Amanda." Francine replied. "You drove him crazy. But maybe it's something he needed." She smiled at him and he looked a bit surprised about it. "Congratulations. You've earned it." Francine shook Amanda's hand.

"Thank you Francine—that means a lot to me."

"Congratulations, Mrs. King." Leatherneck came to shake her hand and she pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you for all your help Leatherneck. I really appreciate it." She smiled at him.

Several other co-workers swarmed around Amanda and offered her their congratulations. Soon the candles were lit, and Billy asked her to make a speech.

"Um, I guess all I have to say is thank you to you all. I couldn't have done it without all of you. I appreciate all you helped me with over the years. And your patience with me in the early days. When I took that package from Lee, I never thought I'd end up becoming a field agent. I guess I've come a long way since then." She shrugged. "Thank you everyone." She smiled at the group.

"Now make a wish and blow out the candles. Then we can have some cake." Lee encouraged her.

"Make a wish?" Amanda sounded incredulous.

"Just do it, huh?" Lee was a bit impatient.

"That's our Scarecrow!" Francine quipped.

Amanda rolled her eyes, and thought a moment—then blew out the candles. Everyone cheered, then they got down to eating the cake. It was over in a few more minutes, and people dispersed to go about their jobs. Finally only Billy, Lee and Amanda remained.

Amanda turned to her boss. "Thank you Billy, for everything you've done for me. I know if it wasn't for you I'd never have gotten here. You have been on my side from the start, and I really appreciate it." She embraced him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Amanda, I only helped you realize your full potential. You did all the hard work yourself. You should be very proud. Welcome back to work. And in a couple weeks, you should be cleared for field duty."

"I hope so, sir. Thank you—for everything." Her eyes shone brightly with tears of joy.

Billy waited a few moments—would they finally tell him what he had hoped to hear? When nothing was forthcoming, he cleared his throat. "Well I have a field unit to run, and you two have a mountain of paperwork to get through. I'll just let you get to it."

He left and made his way downstairs. 'Amanda's finally back to work. It's like someone opened the shades and let the sunlight back in. She brings a radiance that's all her own to this place. Good thing, as we have enough dark issues to deal with. Amanda King's own brand of sunshine helps all of us get through the days a little less the worse for wear.'

One Flew East April 30, 1987 (originally aired February 27, 1987)

Billy hung up the phone. 'I know my direct line to the White House has helped Lee and Amanda—but that sort of thing works both ways. Now I have to spoil their weekend. I need them to check out Laura Mayfield's allegations—but quietly and unofficially. I hate playing the politics—but it's a fact of life in this town. And these contacts help grease the wheels. And if they finally decide to let us all in on their secret—I will need every contact I've cultivated to keep them together and in the field. So now they get to reap the downside of their little secret. Maybe they'll thank me some day.'

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Billy was back at his desk reading the final paperwork on Rollins' little covert operation. He slammed his fist on his desk in frustration. 'Damn it all! Another black op from inside the Agency! When will this sort of thing stop? When we got rid of Rollins—it was with the clear understanding he would retire—for good. I know we don't do the CIA retirement—with a bullet—but this makes me understand why they do things the way they do. Now we have yet another dirty cleanup job.'

'Rollins has been operating his little sanitarium since he retired. That is years of activity to trace—check out—and clean up. At least we can paint Justice with this brush as well. Donaldson was helping Rollins since we cut off his Agency contacts. I guess he moved over to Justice for his contacts. But Rollins was one of ours—so it's our mess. Smyth will be especially vindictive about the matter. He was brought in to stop this sort of thing—and it hasn't stopped.'

'Rollins will be going away for a good long time. He should have before—but we didn't want the bad publicity and he did have sanction—then. Hopefully he won't bring down too many of ours with him. That's for the boys in Legal to deal with. Why can't these ultra-conservative groups let us do our jobs? They think we're too soft—that we let too many bad guys get away. We manage to catch quite a few—and we don't trample the Constitution. Ironic, as these nutcases think they're upholding the country and all it stands for—yet invariably they manage to trample the Constitution in the process.'

'Chalk another one up to Lee and Amanda. Though I used my phone company contacts to get us Chip's services—the bass boat and gear are a small price to pay for cleaning all this up. And if Justice does manage to find our traces—their man on the inside of this makes it totally justifiable. Not that I'm going to tell them. It will be nice insurance—just in case. But Scarecrow was on the edge here—tapping the phones of Justice and a Congressman.' Billy shook his head. 'They solved the case, so as long as their record stays good—I can live with Scarecrow's sometimes over-the-top methods. I just don't know if my stomach will survive. Maybe I should let them know I know about their marriage… It would be payback—and fun to watch their faces.' He smiled as he imagined the scene. 'No, I'll wait them out. But maybe I can drop a few hints now and then…' He laughed out loud at the fun he would have jerking Scarecrow's chain.

All That Glitters May 7, 1987

Billy entered his office on Monday morning to find his desk chair occupied by Dr. Smyth.

"Morning, Melrose."

"Good morning, Dr. Smyth. How was your weekend?" Billy was wary—finding the Agency's Director at his desk was never a good sign.

"I'm taking one of your agents—I need his particular… skills… and contacts to get to the bottom of a little double mystery that came to my attention over the weekend."

"And what would that be?"

"At Elissa Danton's birthday party an anonymous admirer gave her an earring." Dr. Smyth produced an elaborate ruby and diamond earring from his suitcoat. "It's part of the Hale collection that went missing back in '83 during the Grenada Operation. Also stolen at the same time was a diplomatic pouch with the Sandpebbles list. Now Elissa is to be on the lookout for her secret admirer with the mate to this." He dangled the earring in front of Billy's face. "And at the same time we are intercepting smoke signals that the Sandpebbles list is on the market to our friends south of Florida. Sandpebbles is our list—our people operating in that area and while four years out-of-date there's still enough damaging information there to make life very difficult—if not terminal—for too many people. We can't afford to let that list go to the man with the cigar—and so I'm giving the job of tracing the other earring to Scarecrow."

"I agree. He's not currently assigned to anything big—so I'll brief him."

"No Melrose—this is my operation. The man up the street delegated me to deal with this matter personally. So I'll tag Scarecrow and hand this off to him and he can follow up. Besides—his history with Elissa will give him an inside track for any private information we might need to get from that quarter. He's a natural for it." Smyth smiled thinly and pocketed the earring. "I'll keep you informed on the operation." He stood and breezed out of Billy's office.

Billy left the door open to allow the office to air out. He sat at his desk and thought about Smyth's 'assignment'.

'He's meddling in my field unit more and more lately. First Stemwinder—and that little fiasco won't be forgotten for a long time. I wonder if he realizes how much he damaged his rep with the rank-and-file people? Probably not—and he wouldn't care if he did. Then Birol—then Amanda's letter—he wouldn't even consider putting in a good word for her. Then there was the interference with TP Aquinas—he was willing to let the man die to get Ramon Peralta. He was thankfully out of the loop with Doneck and PD2. He was steamed outwardly—but he was also just as happy as the rest of us to get an antidote to PD2 and discredit Doneck. Still the man is taking way too much of a personal interest in Scarecrow and Mrs. King—correction, Mrs. Stetson. And now he's personally pushing Lee onto Elissa Danton. Were it a year ago—I might be more worried. I'm still a bit worried—but he's safely married and Amanda is back on full-duty status.'

'So I get to sit on the sidelines on this one. Well—maybe I can put a bug in Francine's ear about Lee and Elissa. She's finally come over to Amanda's side so she'll give Scarecrow grief about Elissa. And if I get an opportunity myself I'll help Lee to see just what a good deal he has—and remind him not to blow it.'

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Billy was at Raymond's finishing his lunch. He looked up to see Elissa Danton approaching his table with a determined look in his eye. She engaged him with little small talk and got right to business.

She looked chagrined. "A lot of help Lee Stetson was—he's so starry eyed about that woman he's involved with, he can't see straight. Humor me Billy—what's she like? Young, glamorous, sexy, rich?"

'Well, well, well. Elissa Danton is fishing for details about Amanda. Leave it to a woman like her to immediately figure it out. She probably wanted Lee for herself—but he wasn't going to commit to any woman—even Elissa Danton. And now she's determined to check Amanda out for herself. Well she isn't going to learn anything from me.' He put a pleasant smile on his face and answered her sincerely. "Not really she's just a lovely woman. I don't think Lee could have done better than—this particular person."

Elissa wasn't put off. "And who is this particular person?"

Billy was enjoying this immensely. "You'll have to ask Lee, Elissa. I get the feeling that that's still 'classified information.'"

"If he's not going public, then he's still a free agent."

"I think you're wrong." He said with conviction. 'I know you're wrong.' He thought with deep satisfaction.

"Billy, you're talking to Elissa Danton—I'm never wrong about this sort of thing. In the circles I travel—I can't afford to be." She left abruptly.

'Sometimes it's very satisfying to know something that nobody else knows you know. And this is one of those times. Lee Stetson is in for one hell of a test. Personally I think he's up for it—but he still has to face Elissa—and then Amanda. It won't be an easy or comfortable few days for Scarecrow. This should be fun to watch.' He finished his lunch with a grin that lasted through the afternoon.

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Later that afternoon Billy saw Lee in the bullpen checking out information. He decided to have a bit more fun with the newlywed.

Billy cornered Lee. "Elissa slid up next to me at lunch, Scarecrow with a trout line in the water. Every hook is baited and waiting for you Scarecrow."

Lee was taken aback. "Look, you're the second person that has come up to me and warned me to watch my flank. Why is everyone so concerned?"

"This is Elissa Danton, Scarecrow—you two have a pretty steamy history—Elissa has a memory like an elephant."

"Well thanks for the caution Billy. OK. But remember one thing, I'm not a freshman agent anymore. I can handle myself."

"Maybe, but—I'd suggest you just stay away from the oysters." Billy tried to give Lee a knowing look. 'Gotcha! If you two won't come clean—at least I get to have some fun with you about it. Give me some credit Scarecrow—I wasn't born yesterday. I was out working in the field when you were moving from base to base with your uncle. You have one hell of an evening ahead—Elissa will be going all-out to get you back in her bed—and you will be doing all you can to get her help and cooperation while doing everything you can to stay out of her bed. That's a masterful tightrope walk. I wish I could be there to watch.' He chuckled inwardly.

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Billy was up in Dr. Smyth's office.

Smyth was direct. "Scarecrow managed to uncover our thieves and the traitor who was peddling our list to Castro. I'm satisfied the case is closed."

"That's good. I'll let him know you're satisfied with his work."

"Melrose—what is going on with Scarecrow? Elissa told me he wasn't interested in anything but business. Is our boy losing his touch?"

"I thought it was always 'agent's discretion' whether he follows up on an invitation or not." Billy tried to sound neutral about it.

"This is Elissa Danton, we're talking about. The two of them were quite an item a few years ago. Now he's not interested."

Billy shrugged. "People change. He did return and save her from the fire. If he hadn't she might have been severely injured. She's in the hospital as it is."

Smyth stared narrowly at Billy. Billy was an old pro—his mild expression never wavered. He knew exactly what was at risk should be give anything away.

Smyth finally spoke. "Scarecrow and his partner are an effective team. As long as they get the job done I guess I shouldn't be too concerned about their methods—as long as they follow the rule book. Now that Mrs. King is a full agent she's subject to the same rules and regulations as all the rest of the agents here. And the same penalties should she break those rules. And so is her partner. You'll communicate that to them—won't you Melrose?" He asked with a warm smile—that didn't reach to his eyes.

"Of course, sir. I always communicate your messages to the agents in my field unit." Billy replied. At Smyth's dismissive gesture, he left the head man's office.

He mused as he rode the elevator back to his floor. 'I don't think Smyth knows anything—otherwise he'd be all over the both of them. And they'd be out immediately with no chance of reprieve. Which would be a great loss for me, my unit and this Agency. Why can't that man let people live their lives in peace? They did sign up for the job—but they're entitled to a private life, too. Hopefully Lee and Amanda will be careful and we'll deal with their marriage when they do finally decide to come clean.'


	38. Chapter 38

Billy's Case Files

By Ermintrude

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 38

Suitable For Framing May 14, 1987

Billy sat in Dr. Smyth's office.

"Melrose—we have information that Sascha Chernov is in town and running a little operation codenamed Trojan Horse. This information," he tapped the file on his desk, "came at great trouble and expense. It's top-level KGB stuff. Out of Bulgaria."

"I'll get my people on it right away. Top priority." Billy was eager to get Chernov.

"At least. I don't need to remind you about the black eyes Chernov has managed to give this agency—and other Western espionage operations—over the years. I want him, Billy. I want this guy hung out to dry—publicly." Smyth puffed on his cigarette and got a serious look on his face. "The Soviets have been bold lately—they are still smarting over that PD2 affair. We managed to break into their embassy—drug one of their own—and get out scot-free with the antidote to their prize germ warfare bug. That effectively neutralizes it. They are looking for payback and I don't plan to allow them to get it. So tell your people to be especially careful. I don't want anyone doing anything unorthodox or outside the lines of standard operations. Got it?" He leaned forward and looked threateningly at Billy.

Billy rubbed his thigh where he had gotten shot on that mission. It had healed nicely, but he still got an occasional twinge. "Got it. I'll just take that file and get going, shall I?" He smiled benignly.

"Dismissed." Smyth waved him off and turned his chair away from the section chief. Billy took the file and left Smyth's office.

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Billy read the files and made notes—he arranged a meeting with his staff for early afternoon. He had a few things to check out first.

He made phone calls to some of his contacts who might have information about the KGB and their dealings. He didn't get anything definite—but everyone was alerted and would pass anything they knew on to him ASAP. As he was working out the final mission assignments his phone rang.

"Melrose here."

"Hey Lancer, it's me—Kenneth Wilder. At the UN."

"Hey Kenneth—what's up?"

"I got a message from one of the guys here—he wants to meet with your people this weekend—tomorrow if possible. He says he has some good dirt on the KGB and their recent operations."

"Thanks for the message. Tell your man I'll be up there with one of my best people." He checked his watch and made a mental calculation. "We can arrive this evening—we'll contact you once we've checked in."

"OK Lancer. I'll be waiting for your call. See you tonight."

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Billy and Lee were in a limo in New York—each was conducting business on a cell phone. Lee hung up his phone and waited for Billy to finish his call.

"Billy that was Francine. She talked to Andropolous. He has intel he needs to pass to us—Zulu orange. She's going to meet his contact at a restaurant reception this afternoon at 4:30. Modified Steiglitz maneuver."

"Is she going in alone?" Billy sounded a bit concerned.

"Billy—this is Francine. She can certainly handle it."

"I don't doubt that—but we need to get a better handle on this Trojan Horse thing. And I don't want anyone out there on their own. We need to be careful how we operate this time. After the PD2 thing—the Soviets are probably looking to get some heavy payback. And we can't allow that."

"She's a pro. It will be OK. She'll get the message and then we'll know what Andropolous has. Piece of cake." Lee sounded confident.

"I hope you're right, Scarecrow." Billy sounded a bit weary.

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Billy sat heavily after Lee had briefed him on Francine's escapades. 'She used a civilian to hold the information. That's Scarecrow's forte—well it was back in the fall of '83. Why do I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this?'

'Lee was very lucky with Amanda. Francine doesn't have Scarecrow's luck. She's a fine agent and great administrator—but even the great ones can be set up. And now the civilian she passed the information to has lost it—his girlfriend may have it. This doesn't look good at all. Hopefully she can get it back before Smyth finds out.'

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Billy was back up in Smyth's office.

"Melrose—what did I tell you about your people playing by the book? Now we have to attend a protest hearing."

"We?" Billy questioned.

"Of course—your people screwed this up—so you get to sit there and take the heat in person with me. Maybe you'll appreciate what I go through when your people decide to get creative."

"Where and when is the hearing, sir?" Billy decided to retreat into disciplined formality.

"Tomorrow morning. But first you and I will get together—informally—with Stetson and Desmond. I want their resignations on my desk by midnight tomorrow evening."

"Resignations!" This was a shock.

"I'm sick and tired of putting up with Scarecrow's antics. This time he's gone too far. He authorized Desmond going off alone on this—and she lost the information she was assigned to pick up. Now we have a formal protest. I won't stand for it. We need to make an example—and those two are it."

"He's my best agent and she's my right hand. You're crippling my unit by demanding their resignations."

"You should have thought of that a long time ago." Smyth pointed his cigarette at Billy. "You are the one who has allowed them all this rope. If you had maintained proper discipline and insisted your people followed procedures we wouldn't be in this mess. The Agency is taking a black eye—and I intend to show everyone here that those responsible for this will be appropriately punished. I'd put them in jail—but I don't have any charges I can get to stick. Yet." He looked menacingly at Billy.

"This sounds like a witch hunt." Billy was angry—the gloves were off.

"Only where it concerns lapses in discipline and procedure. And as long as I'm in charge I expect everyone to follow the book. Capice?"

Billy took a calming breath. Getting himself fired wouldn't do anyone any good. He nodded. "Let's get them together and you can tell them yourself."

"Oh, I fully intend to." Smyth sounded almost gleeful.

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The next day, after the protest hearing, Billy sat at his desk and fumed. 'Lee and Francine have been ordered to submit their resignations by midnight. Their clearances will be pulled and they'll be officially out. For good.'

He pounded his fist on his desk. 'Damn Smyth and his Agency pride. This it Trojan Horse—how Chernov set us up. And Sergei and his people were there every step of the way—getting it all on videotape. Don't the State people realize that? How could they be there to tape unless it was a setup? Their story won't hold water under close scrutiny. I guess someone doesn't want to allow that close scrutiny. And letting the press in.' He shook his head in frustration.

'Obviously there's a lot more going on than I'm read into. And two of my key people are taking the fall. I've gone to the mat for both of them—more than I care to count. But now it's done. I can't do anything more, They will have to resign. And what about Amanda? She will be tainted with her partner's resignation and under a cloud. Will she stay—or will she quit with her husband? Because if he quits—I can't officially allow contact between those two as long as Amanda's still employed here.'

'So I lose three people in the end. Because I would hope she'll be more loyal to her husband than she is to this Agency. Damn Smyth—this is what he'd planned all along. Francine's just unlucky to have gotten caught up in all of it. Maybe I can get their lockout orders pushed to the bottom of the pile. I'll go see Stamps late tonight. Put their stuff at the bottom of her pile. Because if I know Scarecrow—he'll keep trying to beat this. I can't do anything more for them—but I can hope and pray he can clear himself and Francine.'

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Billy was at his desk again after the final outcome of the Trojan Horse case.

'I have to deal with two weeks vacation for Stetson and Desmond. It won't be easy—but that's vastly better than dealing with their permanent absences from this Agency. It was touch-and-go with the CIA when they were caught inside. But they managed to maneuver Sergei and McCaslan into implicating themselves and got the incriminating evidence to bust Trojan Horse wide open. So we managed to break Chernov's little plan and come out on top.'

'That was way too close for my comfort level.' He smiled broadly to himself. 'It was very satisfying to watch Smyth eat crow. And it was Scarecrow who served it up for him. Maybe that will teach Smyth. He has to stop this witch hunt against Scarecrow and Amanda. I'll send my usual report up the street—and maybe I can arrange a brief meeting. I don't want to ruin Smyth—but his actions this past year are damaging to my unit, the Agency and this country.'

Billy thought a bit about the ramifications of that action. 'On second thought, I'll hold off on that meeting. Hopefully Smyth will learn his lesson and it won't be necessary.'

A Matter of Choice May 21, 1987

Billy was closing the file on Brody and Jonathan Stone. 'We've got to get better security measures in place. Brody was able to waltz out of prison and operate with near impunity. We knew he still had cells operating out there. This time he used Francine—she's had a string of bad luck—first Trojan Horse and now her old fiancée that left her at the altar. She pretends she's this heartless cold professional—but she's human like the rest of us. And Jonathan is her Achilles' heel. Brody is a master manipulator—and he played Stone and Francine perfectly.'

'Poor Francine was doubly vulnerable—though Brody couldn't have known about Lee and Amanda. Francine is confronted with their relationship every day. And naturally she wants something like that for herself. So when Brody dangles Jonathan Stone in front of her nose—she bites hook line and sinker. Now the question is—will they take up where they left off five years ago? And can they make it work? She never told him about the Agency—Brody leaked that to Stone.'

'Personally, I don't think it will work out—but I can still hope. Lee and Amanda are unique. They have some guardian angels looking out for the two of them. Francine isn't in their league—relationship-wise. And Stone is a quitter—and not a business success. Hell—he's not even mediocre in business. Francine wouldn't be satisfied with a house-husband, and he needs to get a good job with good money to keep her in the lifestyle she's made for herself these past five years. But I won't say anything—I don't meddle in my people's private lives. It's more fun to watch from the sidelines.'

The Khrushchev List May 28, 1987

Billy was in his office after the heated meeting with his nemesis Jenkins of the CIA. 'That woman should be locked up! She's a menace to anyone in the business. All she cares about is making sure her people—and she—get the most credit for whatever is going down in this town. Whether or not it's her business. Those CIA types aren't supposed to be operating inside this country. Their jurisdiction is outside our borders. But that woman just doesn't care—whatever she can get her greedy mitts on—belongs to her.'

'Damn Harry! Why did he have to get caught on film while he was in Finland? And why did he have to go there? He's retired, for heavens sake. Now I have yet another problem coming from a supposedly retired member of this organization. And Jenkins is breathing down my neck. I owe Harry too much to let anyone else handle this. If he can make it work maybe he and Christina can make some sort of a life for themselves.'

'I made a few judicious calls and managed to get exclusive jurisdiction on this for the next 12 hours. Now it's up to Scarecrow to find Harry and get a handle on what he's planning—and make sure it all turns out OK. This is a bad one—if that list still exists—and people on that list are still in government—we could be in for a lot of trouble. Lee will have to be out in the cold on this one—nobody but me, Francine and Amanda of course—will know what is going on. Anyone else could be a sleeper at this point. I hope he and Amanda can manage to get to the bottom of all of this. We'll help as we can—but it's mainly up to Lee and Amanda.'

'Good thing I managed to keep the sweep of Lee's apartment to just electronic devices. If they looked deeper—they would have surely discovered evidence of Amanda staying at his place. While we could easily explain away changes of clothing—certain items—intimate apparel and the like—would be extremely difficult to explain away. They found the bugs—top-of-the-line sophisticated stuff that came from this Agency. That shows this list could include anyone. So it is a top priority to get to the bottom of this. It's gonna be a late night for all of us.'

After The Khrushchev List May 28, 1987

Billy was at his desk finishing up the file on the Khrushchev List. 'Singer—the internal security counsel for the CIS was on the list. And now he's dead. Good riddance. We got lucky and the remaining two members of the list turned each other in. But that's the kind of security breach we just can't afford these days. There have been too many of these of late.'

'Fortunately—our involvement was above board. Harry and Christina were cleared and they can finally get married. Harry Thornton married! That's almost as surprising as Scarecrow getting married—but that has come to pass also. I wonder what's next? The fall of communism? The end of the USSR and the destruction of the Berlin Wall? Free trade with China?' He shook his head and took another mouthful of coffee. 'Better get back to business—that kind of wild musing won't get me anywhere.'

'I guess Lee is discovering the differences between married life and a swinging bachelorhood. He has to get over the bumps. Hopefully he'll take my advise, make a list and work it out slowly and reasonably with Amanda. She will help—she knows what it takes to make a successful marriage. Even if she is divorced—I've always thought it was more because of Joe's personality—he loved his job more than his wife and family. What a shame! But if he had been a better husband we all would not have been able to experience Amanda King—so I do owe the man a debt.'

'I think Lee will avoid Joe's mistake. From what I've seen he's totally committed to Amanda and her family—all of them. That's a big change for him—but he's doing his best to manage it all. They don't get very much time alone—he's at her house most evenings and weekends when the boys are with her. God knows I've tried to run interference—but the job has gotten in the way. Because they work together it is easier for them—and harder as well. It must be difficult for them to hide their feelings at work. Still—they've managed the past four years—so they have it down.'

'One of these days they have to realize they need to come clean and let the world know they're married. Agency or not—they deserve a good life together—living openly as man and wife. Until that day—I'll be here secretly helping them along and doing what I can. It's the least I can do for them. Amanda King—Stetson has made a big difference in the Agency—and we all owe her a great debt, Scarecrow the most of all.'

'It's funny—four years ago I was worried about Scarecrow and despairing for him. I knew he needed a new partner who would help turn him around. Then Providence sent her to all of us—and now the miracle has come to pass. He's turned around—happily married and half of my best team. I'm still worried about them—but for totally different reasons. And frankly—I'll take this worry over the other.'

'Now if only Francine could manage to straighten her personal life out…'

The End

AN—So that's Billy's take on the saga of Amanda King and Scarecrow. It's been a great ride. I managed to do all 88 episodes with quite a few extra pieces as well. The fourth season seems to have the longest entries on average–but then there was so much going on behind the scenes. Thank you all for staying with me, and thank you to all who have reviewed. Reviews do make an author feel good and are surprisingly encouraging. Also a big thank you to Jennifer Canon—without her nagging and encouragement and beta help this massive project would not have been finished. I showed her what I had over the summer of 2008—about 2/3 of the first season and 1/3 of the second. She has been on me ever since to finish it—and she helped with beta and suggestions. I know this has been very popular—I see the statistics and number of hits, and I appreciate all who have read—even if you didn't review. I will take a bit of a rest for a while—but I plan to keep writing. I still have stories I want to tell—so thank you and keep reading!


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